This feature has the feel of one of those quirky indie films but with is done using big name actors. The highly improbable situations and the contrived dialogue are to be found only in the movie universe. It centers around a family who has gathered together to mourn the death of their father at the behest of their mother, Fonda. Each family member is dealing with their own personal dilemma that gets a public airing during the gathering. The most interesting of the situations is the budding romance between Bateman and Byrne. Probably most of the other stories could have been excised in favor of developing this one more. Situations like the brothers meeting in a class room at the synagogue during the funeral service to smoke pot are the kind that are pure movie-land and not based in what is most people's reality. They set off the sprinkler system and probably create thousands of dollars in damages while they chuckle about it all and humiliate the rabbi after that as a cherry on top. There is a scene at the end where Fonda defuses a fight by revealing something that makes absolutely ZERO sense and seems to be thrown in by the writer because he wanted to see just how far from reality he could stray without an objection by the producers. Silly plot lines like what is found here are what I guess people think is "edgy" and "bold". It's really just stupid and easy because real life situations are more difficult to write.
Review of This Is Where I Leave You
