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Author
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Topic: Labor Day
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Stu Jamieson
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 524
From: Buccan, Qld, Australia
Registered: Jan 2008
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posted 02-08-2014 04:38 PM
A convicted murderer, Frank (Josh Brolin), escapes from prison and takes a mother, Adele (Kate Winslet), and her son hostage. As it's Labor Day weekend, no trains are running which foils Frank's expeditious escape, forcing him to spend the weekend in the depressed single mother's household. With Shakespearean rapidity, Frank and Adele fall in love as it becomes clear that Frank's criminal record does not reflect the soul of the man.
In summary the story sounds hokey but in the hands of director, Jason Reitman, the themes are handled with intelligence and tenderness. Frank and Adele are both prisoners in their own way - Frank in the most obvious sense; Adele is imprisoned by her depression, a result of her multiple pregnancy failures. The film is also about sexual awakenings - that of Adele's pubescent son and her own re-awakening from the clutches of her self-imposed social exile.
Winslet's performance is fantastic, as always. Has there been a moment in her career when she hasn't been on top of her game? Her performance is a disparate mix of personal fragility and a fierce defence of her family's welfare. Similarly, Brolin delivers a tough but tender performance.
Reitman has always picked interesting humanist subjects, from teenage pregnancy (Juno) to the moral conundrum of selling legal addictive substances (Thank You for Smoking) and Labor Day is no different. In retrospect, it's probably a lesser film than his previous efforts in terms of breaking with thematic conventionality but it's expertly directed, beautifully edited, and the performances are uniformly excellent.
7.5 out of 10
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Terry Lynn-Stevens
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1081
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Dec 2012
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posted 02-12-2014 10:10 AM
quote: Stu Jamieson
In summary the story sounds hokey but in the hands of director, Jason Reitman, the themes are handled with intelligence and tenderness
I watched Labor Day on Monday evening, I would not of watched until I read your review. Overall, I really enjoyed Labor Day and I liked in a lot, but the weird things is that there were some really terrible elements of the movie that would make it qualify for a bad movie. But I liked it. Strange huh?
First the bad: I never really felt the chemistry between Brolin and Winslet. I thought there was no connection between them at all. I also did not fall for the cheesy elements of the movie such as fixing things around the house, or the pie baking, there were some really hokey moments in the movie. The movie was also released at the wrong time, this movie really belongs in a fall release schedule. Finally, the director Reitman seemed to be trying to hard in making a really good movie.
Now the good: The movie was a lot more tense than I thought it would be, the last 30 minutes were pretty tense. About half way through this movie I no idea how the movie was going to end and I was really interested in seeing how movie would conclude, I never actually expected the ending that it had.
The cinematography was great. The look of the film made me feel like I was really there in the small town in late summer. The small town feel was just great. The movie was shot in digital and it reinforced to me that it makes no difference if movies are shot on film or digital these days, digital is now that good.
The sound was also very good. Usually dramas do not have all that interesting sound mixes but this movie uses both the score and sound mixing to really enhance the movie during the finally 30 minutes. During the tense moments of what is going to happen to Brolin, the score is just pounding out of the left and right channels while the centre channel is providing the rest of the effects and audio. Very nicely done. There was also a pretty decent helicopter flyby that we hear but never see. And then there is a moment where there is just silence on the screen but we begin to hear the faints sounds of police sirens that start to get louder and louder.
The really bad: During the opening credits I saw the name "and Tobey Maquire" then when the movie started we hear his voice over, I then said to my friend we will be seeing Tobey Maguire at the end. This happened and to predict things like this during the opening credits just sucks. His names should not of been in the opening credits. I think he sucks as an actor as well so I would rather not see him in a movie anyways. Someone with a deeper voice would of been better.
So overall, I really liked Labor Day. It really felt like a 1980's type movie and we don't see movies like this very often, I would like to see more movies like it. It is also more of a coming of age movie from the prospective of a 13 year old male than it is a chick-flick or romantic movie.
For all of the negative comments I have made, it is strange that I am willing to admit that I will probably pick up the blu-ray when this movie is released on home video. I liked the movie a lot more than I thought I would.
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