|
Introducing the Dwights movie review |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Colin Covert, MCT
|
|
Tuesday, 10 July 2007 |
|
|
|
|
 ___
INTRODUCING THE DWIGHTS
2 ½ stars
Starring: Brenda Blethyn, Khan Chittenden, Richard Wilson, Emma Booth
Directed by: Cherie Nowlan
Rated R for sexual content and language.
___
"Introducing the Dwights" is a coming-of-age comedy in which the kids are only a little more immature than their self-absorbed parents.
Veteran British actress Brenda Blethyn stars as Jean Dwight, a onetime rising star on the English comedy scene whose prospects faded as she married a country singer, moved to the suburbs of Sydney and had a couple of sons. Now she's divorced, funny-bitter and working days in a cafeteria, with occasional bookings on the Australian equivalent of the Holiday Inn circuit.
Jean blooms in the spotlight, telling cynical jokes about love and relationships. Her bawdy patter is dated, but she almost defies the crowd not to laugh; she has the stage presence of a steamroller in sequins.
Offstage she's a brassy diva who controls her boys with a heavy hand. She has appointed 20-year-old Tim (Khan Chittenden) her roadie/assistant/chauffeur and assigns him to keep tabs on his teenage brother Mark (Richard Wilson), who is mildly brain damaged. Both boys are cowed by her over-possessive streak and yearning for lives of their own, yet they're seduced by the warmth and constant excitement of their loving, chaotic home.
Cupid intervenes when Tim's deliveryman job puts him at the doorstep of the lissome Jill (Emma Booth). She's taken with the cute boy but frustrated by his ingrained shyness. As Tim tests his newfound independence, a tug-of-war erupts between the women in his life, with Jean's resentment intensified by her nerves over a vital, imminent audition.
Ex-husband John (Frankie J. Holden) tries to make peace, offering Tim the priceless advice, "For most women, the most important thing is to be right. All the time. About everything."
Before veering into heartwarming cable-TV cliche territory in the finale, Cherie Nowlan's film is insightful about the mother-son dynamic, which is largely virgin territory for family-themed movies. (No, "Psycho" doesn't count.)
In an emotionally rich performance, Blethyn walks a fine line, making Jean a vortex of ego that the boys reasonably want to escape, yet not such a domineering banshee that she alienates viewers. When she first lays eyes on Jill, Blethyn registers a blend of appreciation, anxiety and defensiveness. The girl is a great catch, but also a rival who will inspire her son to leave home. Before long, Jean's in a boozy tailspin.
The supporting players are amiable, and while the family's multiple dysfunctions verge on cartoonishness, the actors keep their characters relatively realistic. There's a nice relationship between Tim and Mark, who have a back-channel telephone relationship unknown to Mom; and Jill isn't a teen vamp so much as a younger, less shrill version of Jean, a take-charge gal that Tim can understand.
The young lovebirds' courtship, with her matter-of-factly directing their activities in the bedroom while he shyly hangs back, is the sort of fresh, honest, rueful comedy that people appreciated in "Knocked Up." It's close at times to being overly sentimental, but Blethyn is in top form.
| Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
