Con’s Score: 4 Diapers
I’m not a parent but the appeal of Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody (writer of Juno) coming together with Charlize Therone is hard to resist, even if the topic didn’t appeal.
Charlize Theron plays Marlo, a frazzled mother of two, and her boy is a hyper-active challenge. Childcare places reject him, Marlo is pregnant with a third kiddie and she’s barely coping. Her husband Drew (Ron Livingston) isn’t a bad dad, just a busy, tired and unfocused one (and I’m so glad they’ve avoided the uncaring male cliche.)
There’s very few cliches in this movie, although Marla’s brother, Craig (Mark Duplass) and his Asian wife, Elyse (Elaine Tan) are the two who creep into the story, but not for long. It’s Craig who wants to shout his sister a night-nanny, called Tully (Mackenzie Davis).
It’s a rare concept – a nanny who comes in at night, lets the parents sleep until needed, and does some cleaning up and cooking to pass the time. Tully is exceptional and she takes her role very seriously. She wants Marla to be happy and relaxed and will listen and share with her… and there are no boundaries or limits between these two.
Charlize has taken on this role with full conviction. She lays out her insecurities and baby belly for all to see. She even put on 22 kilos to look the part. She’s angry, frazzled, fine and funny as she tackles her world of motherhood pain. She still finds our empathy through a snappy script and her acting. She takes this role by the throat.
Mackenzie Davis as Tully is this film’s revelation. She plays a free-spirit with few boundaries and lots of honesty. She is great and her scenes with Charlize make it hard to pick who’s the youngster and who’s the Academy Award winner. It’s important they click, as Marlo is pining for her past.
The script is very clever. The dialogue has rhythm and it crackles with style. Fathers will not feel marginalised as it has avoided turning men into lazy caricatures. It’s gone for reality and finds its humour through that. There is so little contact between Tully and Drew, apart from one scene, I wondered if Tully is just Marlo’s imagination. But this script doesn’t aim for trickery, as their connection is deeper than that. It’s also why this film works so well. It’s not really a comedy but is as warm as one.
It’s rare we have films so well written, where crafty dialogue carries character and avoids easy shortcuts. I wish it was the norm, but let’s enjoy it when these bundles of cinematic joy come along.
Con Nats – On The Town & Theatre Now
