‘Tis the season, the greatest season of them all – awards season - and the buzz is flying pretty excitedly around family-drama dark horse The Kids Are All Right. The hub-ub surrounds its, very modern, plotline concerning the relationship between a lesbian couple, their teenage children and the children’s biological (sperm-donor) father.
The film bursts into life with some nifty, hand-drawn, opening credits as Vampire Weekend blasts out from the speakers to the image of young men cycling down the street in suburbia knocking over bins. It appears you’re in for a fun ride full of wit, humour and colourful observations on modern family life. This is half true. Or rather, this attempts to be true. Sadly the fun indie opening sequence is a cheque the film refuses to cash. It’s definitely funny, but this is down more to some sterling performances from the ensemble rather than originating from a witty script. The realism works, don’t get me wrong, but you’ll be left wanting. Realism is only ever truly affecting when we’re watching real people in abnormal circumstances, not extreme but abnormal. The film, however, sadly finds a way to take a very untraditional Hollywood family drama and make it overbearingly traditional. The taut relationships and inadequacies are insightful and fun until the film strays into the safety net of all rom-coms wherein which there is an illicit affair, the dream is wrecked and the spouses must compromise and go through the mandatory “marriage is so god damn hard, it really is” speech. This said the holy trinity of Ruffalo, Moore and Bening makes for a veritable bonanza of award worthy performances. Ruffalo impresses yet again but this just adds to the let-down as his, tremendously important, character springs forth from nowhere and then again disappears there. If the producers set out to make a film highlighting how gay relationships are as boring and clichéd as straight ones – well, mission accomplished guys.
5/10
The Kids Are Over-hyped.
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