Loverboy

I read this book and saw the film at the Hamptons International Film Festival (10/2005). This is a complex and nuanced story about a single mother's obsessive love for her only child. The story explores the psychology of this obsession and the sometimes sublime, sometimes tragic effects it has on the lives of both mother and son. It is a wonderful adaptation of a novel by Victoria Redel (Greywolf 2001, Harcourt 2002 in paperback) that I imagine would present some challenges given its non-linear time frame and the careful parsing of its secret twists and turns. The acting is superb and the characters portrayed are funny, endearing, and multifaceted. Marissa Tomei and Kevin Bacon are hilarious as the 70's era, sexed up, deliriously in love and sadly neglectful parents. Kyra Sedgwick is brilliant as she confidently captures the complex subtleties of her character, making it easy for the audience to empathize with what would otherwise be, and at times is a difficult and disturbing obsessiveness. Other performances by Sandra Bullock as the sultry and insightful neighbor, Oliver Platt as the nervous and nerdy school administrator, and Matt Dillon as the love interest you can't help but root for, all contribute to what is a very entertaining and meaningful film.

I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I first started watching this, as it seems to launch into a sort of twisted edgy comedy at first, but as this film progresses, this story and the situations become very serious, compelling . . . and sad.

The ending is particularly gripping, certainly not what would be expected from the beginning of this film. Everyone does a very fine job of professional acting at its best, but in this work, Kyra Sedgwick really shines.

I don't think there is any other actress that I could think of who could possibly have delivered the embodiment of the Emily character more perfectly . . . she really shines in this role.

The story itself can be a bit hard to go along with if you have had a parental / family experience with certain neurotic or other difficult psychological challenges. I have, and in some ways could really identify with various aspects of this story and its characters.

This is not a light hearted film, despite its somewhat comedic beginning, but it is very well done.

I liked it, as a fine example of the craft of acting, and for a truly unique story worthy of note.

Kevin Bacon is a fine actor, and I was looking forward to this, his debut as a director. He's certainly worked with some of the best in the business, and one would hope that he'd picked up some great lessons in film making.

But this film, sadly, doesn't offer us much.

I believe the two main reasons it doesn't work are the script, and the casting of Kyra Sedgewick, Mr. Bacons real life wife.

The script is pretentious and humorless and forced, and Ms. Sedgewick, a fine actress with a beautiful body (shown off here quite often) is almost fetishized by her husband in this film- to the detriment of the story itself.

It's a film chock-a-block with celebrity cameos, everyone from Matt Dillion to Sandra Bullock to Campbell Scott and Marisa Tomei, and no one really survives it.

I will say this though- it is a BOLD failure, and I do look forward to what Mr. Bacon can do with a half decent script. He (and we) deserve better.

I am sure that Loverboy was a well-meaning film, but it seemed like a vanity production in which Mr. Bacon asked all his friends to appear in it for nothing. While Kyra is a wonderful actress and never looked better, who cared what she wanted or even understood it? This script was so maudlin and confusing that I totally lost interest after 40 minutes and fast-forwarded to the last scene, which seemed to have nothing to do with anything I had seen, suggesting they didn't even get to the story until sometime long after I had given up. Mr. Bacon is a great actor but if he's going to attempt directing he should find a better script.

This is not an every day movie. It shows that Kevin Bacon has imaginative and creative talent as a director. I certainly think that he should continue directing movies, despite the fact that this movie is far from a successful or great one.

I already thought that Kyra Sedgwick was a great underrated actress but I don't think I have ever seen a movie in which she played the main character. It was however no surprise to see that she pulled this of excellently. She manages to carry the entire movie almost on her own, even though her character is far from perfect.

Because you know that what the Sedgwick character does and wants is wrong and not always the best for her child's development and psychical state. So how could you feel for the main character and agree with the action she takes? The movie does try to explain this but not good enough to justify it- or satisfy me completely. therefor I also can't regard this movie is a good or successful one, even though its definitely well and professionally made.

Needless to say that the screenplay felt very flawed to me. When you already can't always feel or understand the main character, that is never a good sign for a movie. The sort of character and story could had worked and it has worked in previous movies but the story simply is not interesting or compelling enough to make it work.

The fact that the movie is told non-linear also doesn't make the movie any easier or better to watch. I liked the flashback sequences, especially with the Kevin Bacon and Marisa Tomei character because both go deliciously over-the-top in their roles but it also does make the movie an off-beat and not consistent enough one to watch. It tries to be more than it really is.

The movie is also really lacking in its editing at times, which is simply poor at moments. Also the musical score by Michael Bacon (yes, Kevin Bacon's brother) is way too simple. It's the sort of stuff you would expect to hear in an average TV-series episode.

The movie is filled with some cameos of famous and respected actors. It certainly does uplifts the movie but it's not quite good enough to completely save it as well.

An interesting but not completely successful attempt.

5/10

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