Review of Personal Effects (2009) by Red L — 21 Sep 2009

An above average film for Ashton Kutcher. It is in various ways somewhat of an unusual offering that most definitely calls on the Iowan for all the acting skills he is heir to. And he acquits himself just fine.

The motion picture abounds with the defeated, the derelict and disabled. The plot seems to be well delineated. Walter(Kutcher)a Greco-Roman wrestler returns from national competition, after his sister was brutally murdered, to await the trial of the suspect(Aleks Paunovich).

His mother(Kathie Bates)is of course severely distraught. To support himself, he obtains a truly dead-end job at a local fast-food chicken joint, and is forced to dress in a gallus domesticus costume, nevertheless fails to charm the patrons.

An encounter with Linda(Michelle Pfeiffer)a volunteer of the local community center, whose husband was slain by a drunken friend, leads to an affair. He meets Linda's son, Clay(Spenser Hudson)an emotionally disturbed deaf-mute, and invokes a small recovery in the boy when he introduces him to Greco-Roman wrestling.

Although there are indeed a few emotional outburst and a gun is fired, the film generally is very repressed and controlled. Kutcher's peregrination among the diverse characters is quite effective and ties the loose ends together.

Surely, veteran actress Michelle Pfeiffer easily steals the show, still and all Kutcher never appears to be out of step or out of place. In any case, having such superb supporting cast is a very important stepping stone for Kutcher.

One wonders if his fellow Iowan, John Wayne, would have attempted to tackle such a difficult social drama at the youthful age of thirty?