Tumbledown

'TUMBLEDOWN': Four Stars (Out of Five)

Indie rom-com/drama flick; starring Rebecca Hall and Jason Sudeikis. The film tells the story of a widow, still coping with the death of her folk singer husband, who must deal with a New York writer; that comes to her small town looking to write a story on him. The movie also costars Dianna Agron, Joe Manganiello, Griffin Dunne, Blythe Danner and Richard Masur. It was directed by first-time feature filmmaker Sean Mewshaw, and written by Mewshaw and Desi and Desiree Van Til (both first-time screenwriters). I enjoyed it.

Hannah Miles (Hall) is still grieving over the death of her husband; a folk singer, who was somewhat of a celebrity in her rural Maine town. Her family, and friends, all think she needs to get over him and move on. That troubled healing is further aggravated, when a New York writer, named Andrew McCabe (Sudeikis), comes to town investigating the beloved musician's death. He's writing a book on the singer, and Hannah doesn't like the idea of it (at all).

I'm becoming a bigger Jason Sudeikis fan, with every movie he does! He's always funny, and he always picks quality projects too; the roles, he plays, always seem like real and relatable people. This film is no exception. I also like how he does a lot of lower-budget indie flicks too. Hall is great in this movie as well. She's definitely not as funny, but her performance is topnotch; and the two have beautiful chemistry together. It's yet another indie hit win, for Jason Sudeikis!

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"You're the one obsessed with death. My Hunter was obsessed with life." Hannah (Hall) is trying to cope with the death of her husband, and popular singer. She spends her life living in the past and trying everything to keep his memory alive. When Andrew (Sudeikis) shows up wanting to write a book about him he is met with resistance from Hannah. Little by little the more they talk they more they realize they both have something that will help the other one. This is a very good movie that is worth watching, but it also a tad bit generic and cookie cutter like. Most romantic comedies are though so going in I expected that. Sudeikis is great and funny as always, even though this is more serious than we are used to from him. In terms of romantic movies this is one that men will like, maybe more than women. Overall, a movie that I did like but was almost a little too cookie cutter like to be considered original. I give this a B-.

Understated, honest and soulfully choreographed. The cast is engaging, authentic and surprisingly interesting even in the most ordinary situations, of which there are few. Grief may be the premise of this film, but the result is a calm escape into a world you'll be happy to spend some time in.

After reading about the film, I did expect an Indie movie with the usual predictable story lines and romantic frou frou, and there is no shortage of that, but there is another layer of depth that caught me off guard. The intimate warmth of the soundtrack, like the weightless smoke of a dying candle in a quiet room, lingers long after the end credits are over. Some of the songs really are beautiful enough to warrant this type of language, trust me. So do the memories of other musicians who left behind their timeless creations along with the shock and mystery of a lifetime cut short. Martyn Bennett and Jeff Buckley, however different the circumstances of their departure, come to mind.

Whenever an Indie movie finds the perfect balance between lighthearted, mainstream entertainment and the relatability of a smaller story and budget, it proofs that a solid Indie production can transcend the restrictions of a genre and touch the audience beyond 90 minutes of entertainment.

I couldn't think of a single studio produced movie in recent months that achieved 'Tumbledown's subtlety and depth with the same simplicity and grace. To proof my point, this movie would work even without the romance and succeed as a relevant reflection on grief and the responsibility of moving on.

Greetings again from the darkness. If I find myself three minutes into a movie and have already executed a couple of eye-rolls, any hopes for a decent little Romantic-Comedy-Drama would ordinarily be dashed. However, having Rebecca Hall's character narrate her writing efforts as she taps away on the keyboard, actually does serve the story. The first feature from director Sean Mewshaw and his screen writing wife Desiree Van Til takes advantage of a beautiful setting, a slew of contrasts, and some heartfelt music to keep us interested in how things plays out.

Ms. Hall plays Hannah, the grieving young widow who has stashed herself away in a lakefront cabin located in the rural Maine community in which she was raised. Her grief remains burdensome some two years after the tragic death of her husband Hunter Miles – a folk singer whose only album (and subsequent death) created a public mystique and a defensiveness on the part of Hannah to protect and control his legacy.

As a Ph.D from Brown, periodic contributor to the local newspaper, and soul mate of Hunter, Hannah undertakes the writing of his biography in the shadow of the studio monument that continues to expand with trinkets left at his gravesite by a cult of fans paying respect. Griffin Dunne plays her friend and owner of the local bookstore and publisher of the newspaper. His less than enthusiastic critique of her early pages of the biography correspond with the vigorous pursuit by a Hofstra Pop Culture Professor with a book publishing deal who wants to make Hunter a key element of his new project.

Jason Sudeikis plays Andrew, and his fast-talking big city mannerisms don't initially mesh so well with the hyper-sensitive and protective grieving widow. The two spar like brother and sister, and the initial adversarial relationship means only one thing in the movie world … romance is in the air. Fortunately, the focus on telling the story of Hunter acts as a form of grief therapy for Hannah and a bit of redemption of spirit for Andrew. Of course, the path to enlightenment is not simple for either. Hannah's "friend with benefits" is a hunky local power company worker played by Joe Manganiello ("True Blood"), and Andrew's big city music industry girlfriend is played by Dianna Agron ("Glee"). But as you would expect, the biggest obstacle faced by the two leads is their own stubbornness.

We learn the most about Andrew and Hannah when they are around others. An Easter luncheon with Hannah's family is especially insightful. Her parents are played by Blythe Danner and Richard Masur, and as viewers we long for more scenes featuring these two characters (and terrific actors). We sense that these parents see right through Andrew and Hannah. Can Hannah let down her guard so that she can move on with life? Can Andrew quell his ambition so that the emotional connection takes place?

Beautifully shot (with British Columbia substituting for Maine), the aspect of nature plays a role in contrasting country girl with city boy, and it's the accidental discovery of a long lost song that highlights the stark difference in motives … while also being the impetus for change. Hunter's original music is heard throughout the film, and it's actually Damien Jurado whose singing and songwriting add an element of intrigue and realism. Hannah, as narrator, states "In the middle, we feel like it's never going to end." While that may be true for many romance movies, the filmmakers here avoid the "too cute" moments that spoil most in this genre … and impressively overcome those early eye-rolls.

Tumbledown is that kind of movie which makes you feel "Oh! It's good. But it should have been better". You'd almost feel sorry for the entire cast because they have given such exceptional performances only to be let down by clichéd writing towards the end. But it still is a Dramedy worth watching.

Coming to the performances, there are absolutely no complaints here. I can safely say that Jason Sudeikis steals the show with his charm and timing. Rebecca Hall gives her best and suits for the role well. In fact we can watch the movie just for the leads' performances. The supporting cast does justice to their roles.

Verdict: Go for it!