Wild Iris

Gena Rowlands and Laura Linney are two actresses who simply never turn in less than excellent performances no matter what the material they lend their astonishing talents to. "Wild Iris" offers them both a wonderful opportunity to display their craft. While the script is certainly above average, it does not quite make the grade to which they are so deserving. Ultimately these characters fail to convince, through no fault of the actresses, but rather to the writer's spurious characterisation.

While Rowlands and Linney are amongst the best performers of their generations, young Emile Hirsch shows much promise as a representative actor of his generation. He has a natural sensitivity and vulnerability which endows his portrayal with much conviction. He would reprise this role of a sensitive teenager anguishing over the death of a parent in a world that does not acknowledge his inner pain in "The Mudge Boy".

With three outstanding performances "Wild Iris" is certainly a movie to seek out, despite the deficient screenplay.

Iris Bravard (Laura Linney) is an alcoholic mother and widow, living and working with her dominating mother Minnie Brinn (Gena Rowlands), due to the lack of professional and financial options. Iris has a sweet teenager son, Lonnie Bravard (Emilie Hirsch), who feels the absence of his father. Lonnie is divided by his feelings for his mother and for his grandmother. Minnie `builds' marriages through wedding dresses and parties, but ironically has destroyed her daughter's marriage. Iris` husband Ronnie Dale Bravard (Scott Gibson) had not supported the treatment spent by Minnie to him and committed suicide eight years ago. Iris dreams of finding a job and leaving her mother's home. Although having a very sad non-commercial story, this movie is excellent. First of all, due to the performance of Laura Linney and Gena Rowlands, which certainly are among the best actresses in the worldwide cinema industry. I believe that presently I am one of the greatest fan of Laura Linney's work, mainly since after watching `You Can Count on Me'. Gena Rowlands (from `Gloria') has always been a synonym of a good movie. Watching them working together, is a dream for a movie maniac like me. Then, because of the screenplay and director, who conducts the plot without being corny. Although having space for a melodramatic point of view, Daniel Petrie (from the marvelous "Rocket Gibraltar") conducts the dramatic story very honestly without any final redemption of the characters, except Iris. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): `Marcas de um Suicídio' (`Marks of one Suicide')

This is not a Hollywood "feel good" movie. It centers around a daugher, played wonderfully by Laura Linney, who abuses alcohol while she bickers with her mother. Laura Linney is one of my favorite character actors and turns in yet another exceptional performance as a bitter and frustrated mother and daughter trying to cope with the aftermath of losing a husband and moving back in with her mother.

This is a "slice of life" movie where we get the opportunity to see characters evolve through their life experiences. We come to care about the people in this movie and see them make mistakes and sometimes learn from them.

If you these plot-centered movies such as "You Can Count on Me", you will enjoy this movie.

Good performances can't save this terrible script, larded with every cliche in the chick-flick book. Both main characters are deeply unsympathetic, and the scene where Laura Linney's character reminisces about sex with her dead husband in front of her teenage son -- which I think is supposed to be poignant -- is just horrifying.

Not a cheery film, but riveting. Rowlands and Linney are both brilliant, and Laura Linney is especially so. She equals or exceeds her performance in You Can Count On Me, and she should have won the oscar for that film going away. If Linney does not soon win an Academy Award, there is no justice. She is one of the best actors working today, ranking right up there with Meryl Streep. She is totally convincing and incredibly moving in this role; as Iris, playing once more against type. I stumbled on to this film on one of the Showtime channels late at night. I've seen no promotion for it, and I'm shocked that I haven't. In its way, and certainly in the Linney and Rowlands performances, it's as good as Dinner With Friends, which had its premiere on HBO earlier the same night. Dinner With Friends was promoted hugely. Wild Iris is equally rewarding. I can't imagine why the Showtime publicity engines have not been running overtime. I'd be very proud to have produced this film with these two principals.