Childless

Viewed it twice front to back...this film requires attention, and first view I was thinking that I'd just relax and watch a film. I hadn't paid quite enough attention the first time, a few distractions here and there and I'd missed key and subtle little insights into these, well, I guess I wouldn't say so complex of characters, even though most of us would like to think that they were. Hearing the words twice through the voices of the beautiful, gritty and physically honest cast had me. In the end the only really happy person was a dead 16 year old, and she is fine with it, trust me. It really does not spoil the end of the film to know, Girl Scout's Honor. Watch it and see. I think that we are meant to feel hope for the adults in this but, it seems inevitable that they will keep walking blindly into walls until they hopelessly crash into each other and just give in or give up. Maybe that's positive? For me as "they" say, it's about the journey. This is a fascinating handful of journeys elusively tied together, watch close.

Katherine (Natalie Dreyfuss) is dead. Four adults in her life discuss their relationships with her. Richard (Joe Mantegna) is her father. Natalie (Barbara Hershey) is her aunt and Harvey (James Naughton) is Natalie's husband. Mary (Diane Venora) is Richard's former girlfriend. The characters talk directly into the camera. It goes on and on. Each character tells their side of the story. It is a tough way to watch a movie. It takes a lot of effort. I lasted about fifteen minutes before I start spacing out. I appreciate the experimentation. It has the effect of pushing away the audience and that's not good.

A bunch of LA loony toons examine their own lives as well as others through the lens of a teenager's death, most likely a suicide. She was a young relative and her funeral is pending. This is a dysfunctional family for sure, I guess typical of the southern Cali experience. The writing is awful- characters talking into a camera, giving boring soliloquies about themselves, their families, failed relationships and friends. If only their dialogues were more biting, more relevant to their feelings about the young lady's death, it might have helped. Even the victim speaks from her coffin, her final words with nothing meaningful to say about herself. I was not moved in the slightest.

Perhaps a venue change would've worked a whole lot better. Writers like Charlie Levi are among those misguided artists who believe that 'Californiaizing' a script or screenplay enhances the final product. That is not at all true.

Stayed with 'Childless' hoping it would eventually improve but as with the movie, I was disappointed.

There's talent here that is regrettably wasted on this sub mediocre picture. Barbara Hershey, Joe Mantegna and James Naughton are among those in the lead cast. Not even these talented folks could save this piece of cinematic Cali crap.