Director: Derick Martini
Stars: Rory Culkin, Alec Baldwin, Emma Roberts, Jill Hennessey, Timothy Hutton, Cynthia Nixon, Kieran Culkin
Okay apparently this film is set during the 70′s, which I totally didn’t get. Whoops. Anyway, it’s about a lot of family drama as seen through the eyes of a 15 year old boy (Culkin), all while he’s trying to get closer to his neighbor (Roberts).
The sorts of drama offered in Lymelife aren’t anything new. There’s a distant father, unhappy mother, brother who has escaped the household and another child who is trying to make sense of it all. Yet somehow it feels fresher than it should, and I think this is mostly down to the performances. Culkin is subdued and frustrating at first, but gradually grows into his own and has a good character arc. During the last year I’ve become a big fan of Roberts and in like so many other films she’s appeared in she sparkles on the screen. Baldwin has moments of intensity, which give the film some fire, and it all comes together to give a very frank look at family life.
I enjoyed the pace of the film and how it was edited together. It had a nice flow to it and once can simply enjoy watching things unfold. One of the best aspects was the soundtrack. Songs were chosen that perfectly accentuated the mood of the scene. The end is quite poetic too and it’s one where you know something big is going to happen but you’re not quite sure what, and when it does you’re not quite sure how to feel about it. I thought it was very good and I definitely think more people should check it out.
