Love and Other Impossible Pursuits

I was hooked. I watched her mental anguish, her inability to cope with death, and she played it so convincingly it made me sad. I haven't seen Scott in a while so I'm glad I caught him here, he was great. I didn't see Phoebe in Lisa at all. I loved this human drama – the acting, the flow, the characters. The fact that it's sometimes very hard to forgive yourself. I liked Natalie several times more here than I did in Black Swan. A strong 4 stars. (06/12/2011)

I would never have believed that a film with such strong dramatic potential, favorable comments, and above all featuring the charming Natalie Portman would disappoint me to the extent that I would ultimately not even give it even an average rating. I consider the only real positive aspect to be Natalie herself, who practically never leaves the screen. For a similar dramatic role, many a TV star would do practically anything. Natalie is not only beautiful but also a talented actress, so there is nothing to criticize about her in this regard. However, the screenplay steers the film into the most banal waters of Hollywood studio mainstream with emotional manipulation, bookish dialogues, an overly smart child, and a typical happy ending. The music is seriously heart-wrenching, and unfortunately, I mean that ironically, but the film is knocked back two grades primarily because of the dialogue. Statements like "I may not have been a good husband, but I think I am a good person" are nothing compared to what the screenwriter is willing to put in his characters' mouths at key moments. The screenwriter may play with grand drama but lacks the courage for a real conflict and a significant clash. The situation of children living together with new partners of their parents often turns out much worse than what is depicted here, despite the best intentions of the adults. And one more thing bothers me. Watching American studio productions, one could easily get the impression that American society consists almost exclusively of elite lawyers, prestigious doctors, and successful entrepreneurs who consider it essential for their offspring to move from private daycare to a prestigious nursery school and from there to an exclusive private elementary school seen as preparation for Harvard. Their classmates may have a different skin color, but they must never come from a different social class, as the simple plebs could contaminate their children. Yep, even rule by meritocracy can be sickening sometimes. Overall impression: 40%. (18/10/2013)

Here are so many unpleasant characters that it's unbearable to watch. Lisa Kudrow is a straightforward bitch and she’s good at it, but her character lacks any human dimension. Natalie pretends to be interesting and nice, but she carries a trauma that gradually starts to exhaust the viewer. Yes, I understand that losing a child is complicated, but there are better movies that can be made about it. (03/07/2014)