"Rabbit Hole"

Before I get into my review of "Rabbit Hole," I guess I should develop some kind of grading system. A friend of mine suggested that I use ticket stubs and I believe that's a good diversion from the overused star system; however, it will probably take me some time to figure out how to create and use such a graphic. So for the meantime, my rating system will be simpler: I'll use numbers. For one reason or another, I'm under the impression that most film critics use a four point scale; now I may be wrong about that, but for Film Stills 365, I will base my rating out of a possible total of five ticket stubs, er, numbers (for now).

"Rabbit Hole"--2.5/5

I became interested in "Rabbit Hole" a few weeks ago when The New York Times's Sunday Styles section featured an article titled "Tinseltown Can Wait; the Village Cannot." While the write up barely mentioned "Rabbit Hole," the focus on the film's eccentric director, John Cameron Mitchell, intrigued me. How could the same person who directed "Shortbus"--a film I pretentiously ordered on Netflix as a sophomore in college, watched about ten minutes of, and quickly ejected before my roommate could walk in and catch me watching some pretty intense art-porn--tackle a narrative about parents grieving the loss of their child? I had to see for myself.

Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart play Becca and Howie, a young and wealthy couple living in a beautiful suburb of NYC. While the couple's property and items are undeniably aesthetically pleasing, these things only serve to obfuscate the ugly tragedy that has happened to them: their four-year-old son, Danny, was killed by an automobile. Of course, this heartbreaking accident has inevitably formed a chasm between Becca and Howie--a rift that potentially may never be breached.

Dianne Wiest plays Becca's mother--a woman who has also lost a child. However, Becca rejects her mother's tragedy, claiming it is not similar to the loss of Danny, and chooses to spend her time in the company of a high school boy. Meanwhile, a pregnancy is announced, a birthday passes, the days fade into night--constant and painful reminders to Becca and Howie that life continues.

While I think "Rabbit Hole" is enormously more complex and eloquent than "The Greatest"--a film that deals with a somewhat similar topic--I cannot say that "Rabbit Hole" will go down as one of my favorite movies. The plot line is somewhat predictable-- which is always a disappointment to me-- and even slightly bland. Furthermore, Wiest's character seems disconnected from the entire situation--almost like her character was added as an afterthought. However, I must say that Aaron Eckhart proved his acting chops in this film; he successfully tackled a serious character. Bravo.

Personally, I find this film bordering mediocrity, but see for yourself. (The trailer brings me to tears, almost as many as I shed during the film.)