Review of Welcome to the Rileys (2010) by Mike C — 12 May 2011

The best movie I've seen in quite a while. Gandolfini and Leo play two depressed parents who never quite got over the death of their teenage daughter. Stewart plays a dancer/prostitute in New Orleans. Ganfolfini, on a business to the NO, kind of takes Stewart under his wings.

I like the premise...a guy trying to do the right thing even if it's merely trying to make up for something he has lost. It's done fairly realistically, I thought. No nonsense of quick changes, etc. He just tries to be a positive influence in the life of someone who has probably never had one. I happen to believe that can make all the difference in the world.

Stewart is definitely in a different role. I half think it is the Anne Hathaway/Miley Cyrus syndrome: growing up in soft roles means breaking out into some bad shit to prove ability and shuck the stereotype. As bad as she can be, I thought she did quite well. I've never watched an episode of The Sopranos so have no feelings for Gandolfini, but he also did a pretty good job. I forgot it was Leo, the mom from The Fighter. Knowing that makes her performance all the better. She was the weakest link but still pretty solid.

Though it's an American movie and thus ends as such, I don't necessarily mind. It's not overly sweet. But I like the message that people are worth trying for. Several times, he could have given up on the girl just as society has. On her side, I really was pulling for her. I tend to believe that a person with nothing can get used to a shitty lifestyle, but if someone takes the time to introduce them to responsibility and nice things, major changes can happen. They didn't do it in the movie, but how about putting a little makeup on the girl? Buy her some nice clothes and make her look pretty and build self worth. Either way, it's never that easy, just nice to see someone try, even if only in a movie.

So quite a pleasant surprise. Wasn't sure going in given the cast. But a nice storyline carried out by some pretty solid acting equals a solid 8/10. Maybe a better ending, something dark along the lines of Leaving Las Vegas, could have bumped it to a 9. Maybe not.