I Smile Back

First I must state my perception, my image, my imagination of Sarah Silverman is permanently altered! Thanks a lot Sarah! From a wickedly funny actress to depressingly serious actress - all at once! Sarah Silverman gives a performance in 'I Smile Back' that will both confuse and unsettle her fans.

Thanks to Sarah Silverman and fellow cast members Director: Adam Salky and writer: Paige Dylan have successfully brought to the screen a story that is a look into the dark mental labyrinth of an upper middle class housewife and her marriage to a successful man that has placed great value on image. There is no real beginning and no defined end to this story. The doors are suddenly open to this family and we are given a slice of their life and then the door is shut. We the viewer will never know when Laney Brooks mental decay starts nor when or if it ever stops. We see her as she is at this moment in her life.

Laney Brooks (Sarah Silverman) wife of Bruce Brooks (Josh Charles) live a most above average life with two very young delightful children. All seems provided for - beautiful home, beautiful parents, a very high end school for the charming and talented children. BUT as the saying goes 'still waters run deep' and all is not what it seems to be in this idyllic setting. Laney suffers an unaddressed need in her mind that she and we cannot comprehend. There is a pivotal scene where Laney tells her husband that she has some things, dark things, to tell him. He in-turn doesn't want to hear this and surrounds himself with the children eating cake and cookies. He only wants the that which is sweet and nice. As seen in Laney's expression this is yet another hurtle she cannot cross.

Sarah Silverman offers a very mysterious and dark performance in this depressing story.

I'm a fan if Sarah Silverman. I do see her boldness, and spirit of "going for it" in this performance. However, I am disappointed to say that the movie doesn't go anywhere, or do anything. There isn't really a "story" in the sense of a narrative, with a beginning, middle, and end - even an artsy, unconventional, or avant-garde beginning, middle, and end.

This movie just lays there, static. It's really just a tiny snapshot of a sad and profoundly dysfunctional life, albeit an impactful and striking snapshot. While the dysfunction was portrayed accurately and with some skill, we need more.

It's like showing us a photo of a close-up of some water, and saying "Behold - the mighty Mississippi!" One would need to show more to convey riverness. Or, to expand the corny analogy theme further (sorry), it's like a one-note waltz. That might be a GREAT note! But to be a waltz, you need three notes.

Greetings again from the darkness. The combination of Sarah Silverman in the lead role and the word "smile" in the title sets the stage for some shell-shocked movie goers who walk into this one expecting the side-splitting laughs this talented comedienne usually delivers. Drama seems an insufficient description for what director Adam Salky serves up, and Ms. Silverman is fully engaged with the bleak tone. It's a Hollywood rite of passage that every comedic actor must go full bore drama before they are taken seriously as an actor. Welcome to the club, Sarah.

The opening sequence plops us right into Laney's (Silverman) depressed state. We soon learn that she is far beyond the stereotypical disillusioned suburban housewife. She lives in a stunning McMansion with her wonderful husband Bruce (Josh Charles) and their cute kids. Unable to find joy in her life, Laney seeks answers in alcohol, pills, cocaine, and by trysting with her friend's husband (Thomas Sadoski). We've seen it all before, but never by through the work of a fearless Sarah Silverman.

It's not that we dislike Laney. It's more that we feel helpless and somewhat disgusted watching her. We have seen the parents who put their career ahead of family, but it's even more painful to watch such self-destructive emotional behavior. And when Laney finds release through her daughter's teddy bear, it pushes us as viewers to accept just how near the edge she teeters.

Laney's vacuous eyes are the obvious sign that she is simply unable to find any joy in the daily routine of family life. It's not surprising when we learn of the childhood baggage she carries, and her attempts to confront the past provides a spark of hope for her recovery … as does the rehab stay. However, the script from Paige Dylan (wife of Jakob Dylan) and Amy Koppelman confirms that sometimes there is no redemption. The abrupt ending is both a kick in the gut and relief that our time with Laney is done … and also recognition that Sarah Silverman has arrived as a dramatic acting force.

Movies can teach us about life- When I was a teenager I watched (experienced) Days of Wine and Roses. Jack Lemon was a great comedian, but his serious dramatic performance probably turned me and others away from becoming alcoholic.

I've always enjoyed Sarah Silverman's strong comedy which is grounded in hard reality. We laugh because we see truth in new ways.

Stephen King could not create a more wrenchingly emotional story about the horror of personal depression. And the danger of deceit, anger and unrelenting despair. There are things in life that can't be controlled and the real horror is when they come from inside us.

Sarah Silverman's professional dramatic performance is magnificent. I can't wait for more from her- drama or comedy or both.

Very hard to watch, like Silver Linings Playbook but with less mania and fewer extremes. This is actually a plus, compared to SLP: her weaknesses lurk deeper beneath a surface of normalcy.

Excellent performances will appeal to an audience of actors while a relationship-laden story line will appeal to an audience of script writers.

Normally I am drawn to character studies as I have a strong appreciation for films that leave you caring about the characters and what happens to them. Somehow though, this time I find I can't recommend this film to my non-actor/non-scriptwriter friends. Maybe it rang so true, so plausible, so "normal," that the discomfort of watching these lives unfold outweighed the excellent performances of the players.