Review of Rabbit Hole (2010) by Perrine B — 15 Apr 2014

Considering the large quantity of botox Nicole Kidman has had stuck into her face, when I heard that underneath that she was able to give an acting performance that scored her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress I really had to see what and find out how such a thing could exist, so Rabbit Hole sounded like a definite viewing.

The first thing I noticed and really appreciated about Rabbit Hole was the script. It captured the real essence of a couple attempting to deal with the death of their son through realistic language and the way it creates situations which seem to brew up naturally. Nothing in Rabbit Hole feels forced, the story actually feels very genuine which is a very difficult thing to do when dealing with such complicated and touchy subject matter. The quality of the script in Rabbit Hole ensures that it is an effective and true adaptation of the play that it is based on, and it gives a lot of sufficient material for the actors to be working with.

Also, the film is a stylish feature. Rabbit Hole maintains the limitations of its budget by remaining within few settings which keeps it within the visual nature of its roots as a play, yet at the same time it allows John Cameron Mitchell to use various film techniques as a way of dramatising the material and making it a more effective visual experience. For one thing, the scenery of the film is fairly colourful and restrains the film from being visually grim, and this allows for the symbolism about how the world may look bright to many people and how others may seem happy when underneath it all lies a lot of unspoken sadness. All of it is captured well through the skilfully executed cinematography which maintains a theatrical style but is able to capture the nature of the actorsâ(TM) facial expressions to emphasise the emotional intensity of many scenes which is executed very well. The cinematography in Rabbit Hole is one of the best aspects about having it adapted to cinema because it allows for film techniques to enhance the situation without deviating from its theatrical roots or becoming a glamourised high-profile story. It knows where the importance lies and stays within it as well as using a few technical elements to boost the dramatisation of the story.

Unlike director John Cameron Mitchellâ(TM)s previous effort on the film Shortbus, Rabbit Hole manages to actually maintain depth in exploring its complicated material. While it feels like the story ends a little abruptly and leaves a little bit much ambiguity for the next step of the characters and that its running time was a little short for such an interesting film, Rabbit Hole still maintains the strength of its roots as a play and benefits from John Cameron Mitchellâ(TM)s strong ability to handle the material and transfer it to the cinematic screen with ease.

But with any film adapted from a play, the importance rests mostly on the script which is great and the acting which in this case is the most impressive element in Rabbit Hole.

I was rather quick to judge the idea that Nicole Kidman would not be able to act underneath all the work she has done to her face after seeing her in Australia, because in Rabbit Hole despite the fact that her facial gestures are someone tainted by the fact that her cheeks are unable to move all that much when she speaks, her performance is a very effective one. I tend to consider Nicole Kidman to be the least Australian of all Australian actresses because she went to Hollywood and completely changed who Australians knew her as after her breakthrough role in Dead Calm, but in Rabbit Hole I saw something I hadnâ(TM)t seen in her ever before, and I liked it. In Rabbit Hole, audiences are given witness to her deepest role in years. Nicole Kidman excellently conveys the emotional turmoil of a mother dealing with the loss of her child in her own way. I canâ(TM)t say for sure what such a situation is like, but Nicole Kidman exercises clear knowledge about the nature of a mother by showing the complex emotional turmoil of having lost one in Rabbit Hole. The result is very effective and dramatically rich, and it makes part of me question why I ever thought of her as a poor actress. When I think back to Australia and Days of Thunder I remember why, but for a time I forgot during Rabbit Hole and found a new appreciation for her as an actress. Nicole Kidman delivers a lot of dramatic strength in Rabbit Hole, and while I was never certain what accent she was going for I can say for sure that her performance was an excellent one, one of the best of her career.

Aaron Eckhartâ(TM)s supporting role is a strong one as well since as a man I am familiar with how we as males deal with complicated emotional situations. I canâ(TM)t say for sure I know how I would deal with losing a child, but Aaron Eckhart manages to easily convey the idea that the actual event has happened to him. Aaron Eckhart manages to sink into the dramatic material of his role without problem and sharing an intense chemistry with Nicole Kidman as well as a relaxed one with Sandra Oh, he manages to prove how well he can interact with the surrounding cast members. Aaron Eckhart exercises his dramatic skills in Rabbit Hole very well by falling into the headspace of his character with skill and natural dramatic charisma, and he reinforces his legacy as a talented actor with a gradually growing career full of strong roles.

Dianne Wiest is always an appealing sight. The woman who has won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting actress isnâ(TM)t too active in mainstream cinema these days, so it is good to see her in Rabbit Hole because she reminds us just how talented she is. In a small role she manages to portray a friendly presence yet an emotionally toubled one at the same time which allows for a lot of complicated drama to enter the story through her chemistry with Nicole Kidman. The mother daughter connection they share feels genuine, and Dianne Wiest reminds us once again just how good she is at playing a motherly figure since she manages to do it without problem once again in Rabbit Hole. It is terrific to see her acting in mainstream cinema again, and her talent has not sunk a single bit in the many years she has spent acting.

Sandra Oh and Miles Teller also manage to provide some refreshingly dramatic supporting performances.

So while Rabbit Hole is a short film and may have audiences feeling that things cut off a little abruptly at its ending point, it is still a deep and meaningful film which deals with some serious dramatic material through the benefit of John Cameron Mitchellâ(TM)s skills as a film director and the acting skills of an immensely strong cast, particularly Nicole Kidman.