Review of Welcome to the Rileys (2010) by Zachary G — 15 Jan 2012

For the past eight years, since the death of their teenaged daughter, Doug(James Gandolfini) and Lois Riley(Melissa Leo), have been living lives of quiet desperation with her pretty much not being able to leave the house anymore. That moroseness deepens for Doug when his favorite waitress/lover, Vivian(Eisa Davis), suddenly dies. He is so depressed that he cannot even enjoy a business trip to New Orleans, seeking solitude which leads to a huge misunderstanding with Mallory(Kristen Stewart), a teenaged stripper/prostitute. Their second meeting, however, goes much better...

The faults with "Welcome to the Rileys" start with its inconsistency of tone, making me wonder at times whether or not it truly wants to be taken seriously, despite the heavy subject matter. But, sometimes the oldest cliches are the best cliches and the movie is mature enough to know there are no easy answers in life. And I especially like how the movie captures New Orleans. Add in a strong cast and stir gently.