Review of Running with Scissors (2006) by Aleta S — 26 Mar 2009

This is one of those movies to see for the performances rather than for the movie as a whole; especially for people who fancy themselves as actors of any degree. The seasoned professionals' performances in the movie (Brian Cox, Jill Clayburgh, Annette Benning, Alec Baldwin) are superb.

Jill CLayburgh in particular, while she doesn't have much to do in the movie, is riveting and steals scenes like a klepto while she is around. Likewise, Alec Baldwin is in top form but doesn't have much screen time.

While the performances are great, the movie as a whole is not. It is poorly paced, the tone shifts drastically from one scene to the next and it generally doesn't hold together well at all. It winds up being a 'dramedy' due to a bi-polar style shifting back and forth constantly between drama and comedy whereas most movies falling into that dramedy territory wind up there by intention.

If you want to wax intellectual, you could look at the way the tone of the film is constantly shifting as an appropriate thing considering the film's being based in mental health. To look at it purely from one having wanted to see a good movie.

.. it's not really the best way the thing could have gone, even if this style was intentional. It's worth seeing for the performances, but looking back on it as a whole once the credits roll it's not really that satisfying.