The Kids Are All Right: Review

Having spotted that Annette Bening was nominated for an Oscar after her performance in this very film, I decided to sit down and find out for myself if the nomination was warranted. Meh.

The film sets out with a same-sex couple who have children from a donor father; who on the request of the daughter, decides to familiarise himself with all involved before she heads off to college. The film explores the ideas of unconventional family life, the challenges of sexual frustration, and coming to terms with life's disappointments.

Julianne Moore plays Jules, the partner of Nick (Bening), alongside Mark Ruffalo as the sperm donor Paul. The film does follow the familiar pattern found in the many Indie films that have emerged onto the Hollywood scene in recent years. A laissez-faire attitude to dialogue, choice of camera shots and a seemingly relaxed approach to the length of scenes allows the audience to appreciate the more natural and realistic bohemian attitude of the characters to shine through; for better or worse.

As tensions spring to the surface, and the film explores the more testing elements of adult life, Moore and Bening certainly prove their mettle, with some truly emphatic momentary performances at times. The only criticism of Bening's outing is that it bears too many similar features and characteristics to her showing in American Beauty, in which she played the frustrated suburban housewife perfectly. Whilst such a criticism is perhaps fussy and unnecessarily picky, it feels like it is almost literally carried over into this role, though no doubt it it is appropriate here as well.

With a soft spot for Moore, a woman whose natural beauty seems undiminished over the decades, there is very little to moan about with regards to her character, aside perhaps from the predictability of her character's subsequent actions and behaviour. The main problem with the latter stages of the film is that there are scenes some would consider unnecessary, and the pacing is offputting, with large chunks of frankly pointless shots and moments where dialogue could easily replace sections wherein it appears the director has favoured artistic style over character development or plot direction.

At the end of the day, The Kids Are All Right doesn't do too much wrong, but once the emotions have subsided, there is little else to admire.

7/10