LABOR
DAY
This
film was totally overlooked in 2014 and I have no reason why because
in my eyes Jason Reitman's “Labor Day” is a stunningly good film
that is full of emotional resonance. In actual fact, it was a film
that I almost passed on seeing myself after I heard initial reports
that this was Reitman's worst film to date and that it was full of
cliches. I cannot remember why I ended up taking the plunge in
seeing it but I am so glad I did because I loved (almost) every
second of it and have been recommending it to people ever since. The
film is about two damaged people; Adele, a single mother struggling
to cope with life and the outside world after her husband left her
and Frank, an escaped convict needing a place to hide from the cops
who are searching for him, who come together over the course of the
long Labor Day weekend and help the other to believe in life and love
again. Both characters cannot go outside, one due to her anxiety and
depression, the other for fear of incarceration, so in essence they
are trapped together but because of this, they each get to understand
just how the other truly ticks and a bond is formed between them that
may in time become something more. Initially and understandably
Adele and her son Henry are fearful of Frank, but as they get to know
him it becomes clear that he is not the vicious murderer the media
have portrayed him to be. Henry in particular is drawn to Frank as a
father figure he never had, and over the course of the film we are
witness to just how much one person can affect the lives of others
forever in just a short period of time.
All of the performances are
fantastic and you would expect nothing less from the talented cast
Reitman has assembled. Kate Winslett excels with emotionally rich
characters like this and she does an amazing job of conveying early
on just how damaged she is and afraid of the world she has become
after losing her faith in love. As the film goes on she very subtly
opens herself up to the world and starts to let people in again and
she begins to find joy once more in life. Josh Brolin is also
stellar as Frank, with a very quiet and subtle performance, although
there are times when he shows the wear and tear his psyche has
suffered from his time in jail. Still he always comes across as a
generous man, especially with his time and knowledge, and at no time
does he treat anyone without kindness. The scenes when he includes
the mentally retarded son of Adele's friend in a game of baseball
they are playing is just so beautiful and brings a tear to the eye.
Jason Reitman's direction is also well handled; he moves the film
slowly as it is more about the little moments rather than big grand
statements, and I love the way that the flashback structure of Franks
past has been weaved throughout the present story so we, the
audience, get to know Frank and the pain he has endured.
The only
issue I have with the film is the framing device with Tobey Maguire
playing the adult Henry, where we are witness to just how much the
brief time with Frank affected his future. It is not that these
scenes are poor or badly acted, but I just don't think the film needs
them. The story is over by this point and it just comes across in my
eyes as padding. Still its a minor quibble of I film that I think is
totally underrated and that I recommend wholeheartedly. Do yourself
a favour and check out “Labor Day” if you ever get the chance.
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