Review of Men, Women & Children (2014) by Adam P — 11 Jan 2015

Jason Reitman's second film of this year after 'Labors Day', and I'd say the better of the two. Men, Women and Children is unique in the way that it puts forth its message. It doesn't give it to you subtly or slowly, in the first minutes of the film we get the fullity of it.

That is also the main (and one of the only) issues I had with the film. Reitman forces the themes onto you, and you feel a bit overwelmed by it all. And by the end of the film, you feel as if your going explode from the overbearing nature the film's themes present.

Even if the film feels overwelming in terms of what its trying to get across to you, we do get it. Jason Reitman knows what he wants to get across and he gets it across. The story hits you, and it doesn't hit you lightly either. After the end of 'Men, Women and Children' I couldn't stop thinking about it even as I began viewing 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies'.

Added for additional pleasure, is a dark tone and an equally refreshing musical score that mixes in well with the tone. Plus, with an extrodanary cast including star in-the-making Ansel Elgort of 'Fault in Our Stars' fame, Judy Greer, Rosemarie DeWitt, J.K Simmons and Adam Sandler (His performance was phenominal) 'Men, Woman and Children' works.

Reitman is so keen on strong characters, that by the end of the film you relate and feel attached to some of them. You can understand what they are going through.

Normally, i'm not a fan of the format in which seperate stories are wrapped up into one connected film, because I feel that not every story gets enough time to develop itself, or that the format isn't used properly, but in the case of this film, I actually did find it well utilized. Reitman makes each story stand up against each other.

Of the two Jason Reitman films released in 2014, Labors Day and Men, Woman and Children, the latter is far superior then the earlier by far.

All and all 'Men, Woman and Children' is a little too heavily handled with what its trying to get across, but its still emotionally impacting and powerfully acted. And a Reitman standout. B.