Review of Take Care (2014) by 28Director — 07 Nov 2015

This is a lovely film.

The main character is Frannie, played by Leslie Bibb, who was hit by a car and is confined to her apartment in New York. She convinces an ex-boyfriend to take care of her, unraveling a series of minor disturbances in the lives of her friends and neighbors.

It’s a funny film. The acting is understated, with subtle performances throughout, all nicely directed. The film moves at it’s own pace, unforced and unpretentious. I liked the mix of characters, liked the unobtrusive camerawork, the natural lighting, the editing, the music… have I left anything out?

As Frannie, Leslie Bibb is a charming Frannie; she’s sunny and half-silly, but likeable in spite of herself. Thomas Sadowski plays her ex-boyfriend, and while he doesn’t seem charged enough, or busy enough, to have recently closed a 6 million dollar web deal, it’s a minor point. He conveys his conversion from mildly irritated caretaker-draftee to newly smitten ex-boyfriend smoothly, and effortlessly.

The spark plug in the film is Betty Gilpin, who nails her character with the funniest performance of the film, whipping us through emotional changes like a drunk butterfly, sometimes cramming a handful of abrupt reversals into a single scene. And her character knows she’s a case, too; a dimension of acting not easy to pull off.

So many films are filled with over-inflated, bombastic performances, it feels a bit strange to be among un-hyped simplicity. You have to be able to appreciate nuance, to enjoy this film; not everything should have to be larger than life. It's a non-movie movie - and what a contrast to the overproduced, gaudy pieces of Oscar bait from Spielberg or Scorsese, or any of the other vaudeville acts.