The Safety Of Objects

Starring: Dermot Mulroney, Glenn Close Director: Rose Troche Original UK Premiere: 2003 Dvd Release: 16th February, 2004 Number Of Discs: 1 Format: PAL, Region 2 Encoding

Article Index: [Background Info] [DVD Review] [Biographies] [Articles/Resources] [Link To This Article] Looking To Buy? Buy This DVD Here

With a superlative ensemble cast giving note worthy performances, I expected this movie to be better than it actually was. Unfortunately, it was a sterile production, as none of the characters really grab the viewer emotionally. The normal rules of engagement seem to be lacking, leaving the viewer with the sense of having seen a shell of what was potentially a good film. Instead, the viewer gets a film with a few good hurrahs amidst a motley reel of celluloid. It is an ambitious film that does not see its ambitions realized.

Adapted from a book of short stories by A. H. Holmes, the film attempts to weave these short stories into a collective, cohesive narrative. It is a strained effort, at best. It gives an ostensible slice of suburban angst through the stories of four middle class families, neighbors in a suburban community. All have some connection to a car accident that severely injured the son of one of these families, causing him to remain in a vegetative state.

The film plods along, unraveling the accident in tortuous fashion as it takes the viewer to the final denouement. Some of the characters behave inexplicably without rhyme or reason as to why they would behave in such a fashion, leaving the viewer to wonder why. While the reasons may be of interest, there is not a clue as to such. It may simply be that the authors interrelated short stories simply did not adapt well to film, despite best efforts to make it into a cohesive entity.

Yet, a pre-pubescent boy talks to his sisters Barbie doll, believing that they have some kind of relationship, & he believes that Barbie talks back to him. A man whose marital relationship is on the brink of disaster leaves his wife & family at a critical juncture in order to help a neighbor try to win an SUV contest at a local mall. Why they act in this fashion is the question. The answer is entirely shrouded & obscure, so that the viewer is left puzzled & grasping at straws, in the end not really caring at all why.

So, despite excellent performances by the cast, the film is torpid at best, staying afloat simply because of the efforts of the cast not to go down with a sinking ship. The stories of the characters themselves simply cannot sustain the film sufficiently, despite the valiant efforts of the cast & the director. It is a somewhat depressing film that is unable to break away from its own inherent torpor. Still, it is worth a rental, if only for the fine performances of this stellar ensemble cast.

Dermot Mulroney, is an American actor of Irish descent. He has appeared in many movies, including the leading man role in My Best Friends Wedding alongside Julia Roberts & Cameron Diaz. He is married to actress Catherine Keener & the father of Clyde Mulroney. His father is a law professor at Villanova University School of Law. His brother is actor Kieran Mulroney. He may sometimes be confused with actor Dylan McDermott. Dermot Mulroney at the Internet Movie Database. Posters Of My Best Friends Wedding

Editors Choice: The Wedding Date, My Best Friends Wedding, The Safety Of Objects, The Last Outlaw, Where The Day Takes You, View DVDology

Glenn Close is an American film & stage actress. She was born in Greenwich, Connecticut & attended the College of William & Mary, becoming a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. She has been nominated for 5 Academy Awards, for Best Actress in Dangerous Liaisons & Fatal Attraction & for Best Supporting Actress in The Natural, The Big Chill & The World According to Garp. She has also been nominated for 8 Emmys & 7 Golden Globes. Rex - Richard Rodgers musical about Henry VIII. Barnum - musical about Phineas T Barnum. Sunset Boulevard - Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on the movie. Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her. Posters Of Glenn Close

Editors Choice: Brush With Fate, The Safety Of Objects, The Shield, 102 Dalmatians, Cookies Fortune, Mars Attacks, 101 And 102 Dalmatians, 101 Dalmatians, View DVDology

©2004-2008 DVDArk.co.uk