Every Day

EVERY DAY – CATCH IT ( B ) A movie about dysfunctional family is my favorite genre. These movies sometime brings out the greatest moment and performance out of actors you actually never expect. Even here we see a side of Liev Schreiber, which I have not seen before. Watching him with Helen Hunt was really interesting. Helen Hunt is a fine actress and we rarely get to see her these days. I really would love to see her soon in some more movies. Ezra Miller is uprising young actor and he is really impressive can't wait to see what he brings on table with bussed about movie" We Need to talk about KEVIN". Carla Gugino is a sweet actress, its always fun watching her and her chemistry with Liev was HOT. Tilky Jones and Ezra Miller smooching was HOT. Overall, it's a good effort and I really enjoyed the whole dynamics of the characters and specially the funny dialogues. I enjoyed it.

"Every Day" tells the tale of a couple going through a midlife crisis. Ned (Liev Schreiber), is a man on the brink of a mental breakdown. You see life isn't easy for Ned as he is dealing with a boat load of problems. He is bored with his screen writing job, he is dealing with trying to accept that his son Jonah (Ezra Miller) is gay, and on top of all this his marriage is falling apart. His wife Jeannie (Helen Hunt) has her own issues as she is responsible for taking care of her father Ernie (Brian Dennehy) who is dying and trying to save her marriage with her husband Ned who doesn't seem to give her the time of day. Life isn't easy for Ned and Jeannie but what happens in "Every Day" is an interesting look on the subject of marriage and life in general.

I saw "Every Day" at the "World Premiere" screening at the Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday April 24, 2010. I basically went into this film knowing nothing about it other than the fact that it starred Helen Hunt, Carla Gugino, and Liev Schreiber all of which are solid actors. What I got out of the film was an interesting look at life and marriage written by a man named Richard Levine, who is a first time screen writer and director.

One of my favorite things about the film was the whole workplace scenario that Ned was placed in. This subplot to me proved to be realistic. This was one of those films where I felt it did a good job capturing how too much work can destroy your life outside of work. It also shows that life as an adult isn't easy and is a balancing act with everything that gets thrown your way. The subjects of marriage, having children, having a sick parent, cheating, working too much, and a few other subjects all get looked at in the film.

My problem however with the film was that I wasn't sure what was going on in the end of the film. It felt like the movie had a conclusion but it really didn't. I guess the film had one of those "life happens" endings. The subject matter of cheating was never really talked about, which bothered me because it seemed to be one of the key focuses of the film. While the film itself felt real like these characters exist in the real world something about how everything ended did not. I can't really explain it but its just something that blurred the line of fiction and reality. I like that aspect of it and I didn't at the same time.

The characters were all good as well as the development of them. Liev Schreiber did a great job in the lead role. I really felt his struggles as a parent and as a married man to devote his time to the right people. Helen Hunt does a good job as well dealing with her marriage and with her father's obsession with wanting to die. Brian Dennehy performance is solid but that's no surprise because he has been a solid actor for many years now. You really did however feel for what he was going through. Carla Gugino makes a nice supporting role appearance here, playing the sexy "screen writer" with her eye on Ned. Carla's role really isn't as deep as I would have liked it to be but Carla has a knack for playing the sexy coworker role. She was perfectly cast to play the role she played. The kids Ezra Miller and Skyler Fortgang both do a terrific job on screen and I am sure they will have a lot more roles coming their way in the near future.

In the end...I liked the film for what it was. It had some issues here and there but coming from a first time writer and director that was bound to happen. It was a valid effort and the film itself is interesting and realistic for the most part. The acting was good and the roles were well written. As I mentioned above, some things about the film blurred the lines between reality and fiction. The film's ending is its weakness in my humble opinion. Not saying that it was bad but just didn't impress me and left me rather indifferent about what I just watched. All in all, I would recommend it because it was a solid film about life and the famous midlife crisis. Check it out when it hits theaters! MovieManMenzel's final rating for "Every Day" is a 7 out of 10.

"Every Day" may feel a little stale because isn't that how life is supposed to be when everything is the same routine? The family dramedy is an over-worked genre, but this film overcomes the monotony with some clever humour and great performances.

Ned (Liev Schreiber) is just yet another lead character who is having a hard time dealing with his teenage son, losing connection with his frustrated wife, and getting annoyed with his demanding boss. But Schreiber is a good actor, and despite all these rather dull character traits, he made Ned quite likable and enjoyable. The implied depth to Helen Hunt's stressed-out wife, is more than made up for with the wonderfully comedic and sympathetic Ezra Miller. He plays their teenage son who has recently come "out of the closet". Similar to his role in "City Island", he's a scene-stealer with a bright future in the comic drama genre. Eddie Izzard as Ned's demanding boss is more outrageous than you would expect him to be and adds some life to this film about life's problems.

I was impressed enough with the sharp comedy that rose above the flat story lines, and with the accomplished actors who rose above the tedium of the characters, that I can recommend "Every Day". It's independent, but not original, but significantly better than how it comes across.

Every Day is every family's scenario. An ordinary midlife crisis, a slightly rebellious child, a difficult parent... it could be anyone, and it serves as a mirror telling people who look upon it: "Yes, it happens to others too. It's not easy, but you can make it."

The good. The acting is well dosed, just right to make us feel at home. The script keeps event popping in, but does not become overly complex. The story is dynamic, yet quiet. The dialogs, characters, and background are realistic, without dragging us into the mundane or the boring.

The actors. Liev Schreiber is the steadfast husband and father who's running into a wall. Good performance. Helen Hunt is the daughter, wife, and mother who is lost. For once, I did not find her annoying, and I must give her credit for keeping her performance on par with the flick. Carla Gugino as the sexy fun seeking coworker, Eddie Izzard as the flamboyant boss, and Brian Dennehy as crotchety old father are what gives the film its piquant. Well done.

The bad. I think all this production needs to really have more punch is a bit more polish in almost all departments while avoiding becoming slick which would loose the "anyone" feel.

The ugly. Nothing.

The result. A bit of entertainment for everyone, but don't expect any action or big gestures. This is about "every day".

I found this piece to ring so true to family life in America today. I loved that it did not sugarcoat how hard it is to raise kids or help aging parents or keep a marriage fresh.

This cast is superb and they have all brought their A game to the screen. They are reachable and poignant and they each have their own agenda that is faithfully followed throughout the story.

I really see this as an ensemble piece and, therefore, don't want to single any one cast member out. They each delved into the details of their characters to bring a real slice of life to us. It was easy to get lost in the writing, the story, and the emotions we can all relate to with the deft ability of the cast and how they were directed.

I highly recommend it.