Labor Day (Jason Reitman, 2013)

Message

Professor Wagstaff · Thu Oct 31, 2013 5:43 pm

Jason Reitman's "Labor Day"

flyonthewall2983 · #2 Post by **flyonthewall2983** » Fri Nov 01, 2013 2:52 am

Could be the trailer, but it feels very pedestrian which is disappointing after Up In The Air and Young Adult.

Guido · #3 Post by **Guido** » Fri Nov 01, 2013 11:32 am

Telluride pass-holders, which are pretty pedestrian themselves, had almost nothing to say about the film. Never a good thing.

#4 Post by **mfunk9786** » Fri Nov 01, 2013 4:55 pm

Same feedback from the Philadelphia Film Festival - anecdotally, this is easily Reitman's worst film. I know of a few people who unfavorably compared it to a Nicholas Sparks adaptation.

Murdoch · #5 Post by **Murdoch** » Fri Nov 01, 2013 5:33 pm

The trailer does have a strong Lifetime movie of the week vibe to it.

flyonthewall2983 · #6 Post by **flyonthewall2983** » Sat Nov 02, 2013 9:46 pm

It's those Reitman genes kicking in.

#7 Post by **Jeff** » Thu Nov 07, 2013 6:39 am

Murdoch wrote:The trailer does have a strong Lifetime movie of the week vibe to it.

That's about right. There are a handful of good scenes, Winslet and Brolin are as strong as you would expect, the kid is very good, and it's probably Reitman's best-looking film from a technical standpoint. Beyond that though, it's pretty contrived and silly. I never bought into the central romance that supposedly drives the thing. The Very Tragic Pasts that theoretically make these characters so attracted to each other in such an otherwise implausible situation are explained via clunky voiceover dialogue and flashback. I think it's supposed to be some sort of throwback "women's picture," but the hoary cliches of nosy neighbors, curious cops, and having a catch with the old man pile on and on all the way up to the ridiculously treacly conclusion.

I had high hopes for Labor Day after the underrated Young Adult, which I think is Reitman's strongest film. He's good with actors and has developed into a natural visual storyteller. I don't know what attracted him to this story, but if he's going to write his own scripts, I think he's far more successful with stories that have an edge -- some sort of satiric bite. I'm all for irony-free, sincere, non-cynical stories, but it's a lot harder to sell genuine sentiment, and I didn't buy it for a minute here.

Site Menu