1. willlybrand

   10

   'Rabbit Hole' is a modern day drama about how people cope with death. In particular, this film is about how two well-adjusted parents deal with the untimely death of their son. Uplifting, I know. That may sound like an unenjoyable premise, but 'Rabbit Hole' delivers a subtle but delightful punch that will leave you smiling. This movie, based on David Lindsay-Abaire's play, is absolutely worth seeing. From the get go we learn that the stakes are high. The main characters, Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart), are unable to deal with the loss of their son. At a support group of similarly suffering parents we see that, as one may expect, everyone's state of mind and well being is constantly in flux. Even more, the very relationships holding these couples together is tearing at the seams. The mood is subtle and sad, but interspersed with melancholy snapshots of everyday life. I cared about these people because they are unique, they have incredible challenges to overcome, and they have imperfections they must deal with. As the story unfolds we witness Becca and Howie's fruitless attempts to cope with the grief while slowly glimpsing the details of their son's death. Becca's family is supportive, however that doesn't prevent a number of confrontations when the topic of the accident comes up. Her mother (Dianne Wiest), wants nothing but to help but only ends up provoking Becca. These tension relieving arguments are both painful and believable. While Becca and Howie seek out their own individual outlets to get over their loss, they remain loosely coupled in what appears to be a now loveless marriage. It is what they find on their own that ultimately results in a wonderful final scene that is captivating, sad, and uplifting all at once. I laughed at some of the atheistic remarks that Becca makes, most of which were biting and inappropriate. It closely mirrors my internal though process, words which I think but would never say. But Becca has no reason to hold things back. She's dealing with the death of her only son. This results in Becca putting those around her in unfair and difficult situations. I also really enjoyed one of the group therapy scenes. Howie and another mother Gaby (Sandrah Oh) decide to get high in the parking lot before the meeting. The two stoned sufferers then laugh inappropriately when a couple talks about the death of their daughter. It was absolutely inappropriate, but their marijuana induced haze let them rise above the anguish of their children's deaths despite suffering that very same experience. Nicole Kidman really shines in this movie. She has several awkward moments that are pitch perfect and entirely realistic. It's easy to identify with this character as we've all had such clumsy social encounters, however hers occur much more frequently as the result of the constant dwelling on the death of her son. Aaron Eckhart and Dianne West also shine in their performances, although Eckhart could at times be accused of being too subdued. West is rumored to be in the running for Supporting nominees. However, Miles Teller, a fairly unknown young actor who portrays Jason, the driver of the car in the accident, is perfectly cast. He's genuine and reserved and is completely captivating. His self made comic book, an artistic outlet to escape the death he caused, gives the movie it's namesake. It is the often unplanned meetings in which Jason and Becca speak about their shared misery that are the highlights of 'Rabbit Hole'. As I hinted at earlier, 'Rabbit Hole' is very well written. The music accompanies the mood perfectly, primarily featuring a piano that slowly creeps in and out. And although it is very well shot, cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco takes no artistic risks beyond capturing the story on screen. I'm really happy to see director John Cameron Mitchell take a step back from his otherwise risqué films. If this is the sort of drama he is capable of directing then I am excited to see what he'll do next. I think this movie may never reach a critical audience because of its somber subject. That's unfortunate, because this sort of writing, acting, and story deserves to be both told and seen. 'Rabbit Hole' is truly unique in that it focuses squarely on people overcoming sadness and coping with pain in a very realistic human way. It tackles this somber subject with a refreshing sense of grace, humor, and relief.… Expand

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2. RyanGee

   5

   Director David Lindsay-Mitchell's Rabbit Hole is an example of poetry in action. To further this analogy, the film conveys the reality of emotion and heartbreak in a manner that is both abstract and relatable. While this emotion surely resonates from the stellar performance by Nicole Kidman, there is an utter lack of inspiration or purpose to give the film any sort of a compelling aspect. Rabbit Hole is the film adaption of David Lindsay-Abaire's play depicting the lives of two parents (Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart) who have recently lost their 4-year-old child. While the premise is overly simple, it is brought to life by the emotional realism of Kidman's performance. In perhaps her in one of her greatest portrayals, Kidman is able to personify agony through the subtlety and constraint of her performance. The actress does an impeccable job of employing emotional restraint within her character resulting in the heartbreak and pathos within the film's grim material. This performance will clearly be overshadowed by Natalie Portman's effort in Black Swan, but Kidman's performance is perhaps even more complex in the fashion where she controls her character. Acknowledging the effort of the ensemble as a whole, Eckhart compliments Kidman's acting, but it is obvious that the film's core lays in his counterpart. Along with Nicole Kidman's amazing performance, the writing adapted from Lindsay-Abaire's play finely illustrates the picture of the pain expressed by two parents. The realism of the writing prevents Rabbit Hole from becoming merely melodrama lost in the absence of plot direction. So while the realism is defined, the purpose of this aspect is absent. Rabbit Hole places heavy emotion within its audience, but it ultimately just leaves it in an unchanged manner throughout the film. While it can be seen as simply a social illustration of coping with death, it never really has any purpose. The film does not really give hope nor a conclusion of despair. Overall, Rabbit Hole is a marvelous and well-acted portrayal of a common human emotion of despair, but that is in all actuality the sole definition of the film; Resulting in a film that seems somewhat rewarding but wholeheartedly empty. Grade: C+… Expand

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     1 of 5 users said yes
3. metamotivcritic

   1

   That Mitchell could have taken a very affecting (and effective) , Pulitzer-prize winning play and made it into such a bland, unaffecting, loosely structured movie is a real pity. (Even someone I know who lost a child and went through the grieving process portrayed in the movie described it as "boring.") This is clearly one of those cases in which remaining faithful to the original source would have been preferable. That Mitchell didn't go the usual Hollywood soap opera route is pretty much damning by faint praise. That he could have taken such fine actresses as Nicole Kidman and Dianne Wiest and directed them in such uninspired performances is also regrettable. (That Sandra Oh and the dog (no offense to Sandra) gave the best performances in the movie is a commentary on both the movie and on the silliness of Oh's character on Gray's Anatomy.). Finally, that the 20-year old film Ordinary People was so much better than this one is, I guess, a tribute to Robert Redford (among other things).… Expand

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     1 of 6 users said yes

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