X
- 2017
- R
- Magnolia Pictures
- 1 h 37 m
- 2017
- R
- Magnolia Pictures
- 1 h 37 m
Summary When two sisters suspect their father (John Turturro) may be having an affair, it sends them into a tailspin that reveals cracks in the family façade. For the first time, older sister Dana (Jenny Slate), recently engaged and struggling with her own fidelity, finds herself bonding with her wild teenage sister Ali (Abby Quinn). The two try...
Directed By: Gillian Robespierre
Written By: Elisabeth Holm, Tom Bean, Gillian Robespierre
- 2017
- R
- Magnolia Pictures
- 1 h 37 m
- 2017
- R
- Magnolia Pictures
- 1 h 37 m
Landline
66
5.9
Where to Watch
Summary When two sisters suspect their father (John Turturro) may be having an affair, it sends them into a tailspin that reveals cracks in the family façade. For the first time, older sister Dana (Jenny Slate), recently engaged and struggling with her own fidelity, finds herself bonding with her wild teenage sister Ali (Abby Quinn). The two try...
Directed By: Gillian Robespierre
Written By: Elisabeth Holm, Tom Bean, Gillian Robespierre
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 33 Critic Reviews
66
73% Positive
24 Reviews
24 Reviews
27% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 33 Critic Reviews
66
73% Positive
24 Reviews
24 Reviews
27% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Landline is a textured, silly, sweet, and deeply felt comedy that traces the distance between the most satisfied parts of ourselves and the most desperate, between the people we are and the people we think we should be, and it finds that — for better or worse — we’re all stuck somewhere in between.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 20 User Ratings
5.9
45% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
40% Mixed
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
15% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 20 User Ratings
5.9
45% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
40% Mixed
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
15% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
The last venture between actor Jenny Slate and director Gillian Robespierre was OBVIOUS CHILD, which I didn't like, esp. Slate's unappealing character.
This time around, the script is better and Slate comes off as sweet and sometimes even amusing. She and her sister (Abby Quinn, equally charming with a wonderful singing voice) think their dad (John Turturro) may be having an affair on his wife (Edie Falco). Matters become more complex as each of these characters deals with their own issues of love, sex and fidelity. The cast is uniformly excellent, plus the lively pace and enjoyable interactions help make this an appealing little comedy.
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A forlornly funny and emotionally bruising dramedy that rarely misses an opportunity to reveal humans as the flawed and occasionally awful beings that they are.
Unlike “Obvious Child,” Landline plays like a series of semi-successful comic and dramatic scenes, haphazardly arranged into something resembling a story.
Director/co-writer Gillian Robespierre is nowhere near as self-indulgent as Noah Baumbach but she’s aiming for the same audience.
It’s a mix of comedy that isn’t especially funny — offering something more like general high spirits, rather than laughs — and drama that isn’t really dramatic, except to the people on screen.
Crumbling nuclear families are a well-worn movie genre; you could even add “in Manhattan” to that description and the examples would be many. “Landline” is simply another one, not appreciably worse than the average, but not much better, either.
I was rather surprised by Landline. For one thing it's about two sisters and neither had an infectious disease neither was a serial killer, prostitute or wearing spandex in the Marvel Universe.
Just some real drama and although spotty here and there script wise there was some really very telling moments about the sisters here. The big deal in the film is that dear old dad is something of a 'man ****' I suppose you'd say. Played rather carelessly by fine actor John Turturro. The guy is honestly a bit of a slump. More interestingly is the affair of the older sister Dana, played very nicely by actress Jenny Slate, she and her younger sister Ali, Abby Quinn are sterling as sisters, really sympatico. The ending felt right as well with dad slumping in, I mean I don't see Harvey Weinstein catching a break!
Still, sisters rarely get to be shown on the big screen and here I liked the tough but knowing interplay between them. I'd of liked to see more of them if this were a series instead of a movie.
There is some drag however, a sort of malaise to the action that draws on too long. The film could have used a more savvy Editor, I hate to get tech with you here, I mean this isn't AFI... but the Editor is very, very important! Especially one who isn't swayed by a Director who is often a tad too close to the material.
Lastly is the time 1995, wow, I'd forgotten how cool it could be back then. It was great to see this decade again. Which is surprising to say the least!
See Landline, some of you may really hate it but I think many of you might like it too.
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I love Jenny Slate, and she and the cast elevate an otherwise familiar script. There's not many laugh-out-loud moments but the charm and honesty from all involved make this worth a watch if you don't expect any twists.
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Can't even understand how Gillian and Elisabeth managed to screw this film up. My goodness. My wife and I were loving it, and how real it is, and how punchy the dialogue was, and how great the acting is, and then they tried to wrap it up into a bow over the final 10 minutes? Shame on both of you.
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Production Company
Madison Wells,
Route One Entertainment
Release Date Jul 21, 2017
Duration 1 h 37 m
Rating R
Tagline 1995. When people were harder to reach.
Website
http://www.landlinemovie.com/
Awards
Sundance Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
