26.12.10

Review: Rabbit Hole


I think its apt to be writing this review now, a time of the year to be depressed and alone, to reflect on how quickly the year passed and the friendships left to wilt, dreams yet unachieved. Rabbit Hole originated as a theatre play that won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, and revolves around a couple who have just lost their 4-year old son.

I’ve been reading The Year of Magical Thinking and Hurry Down Sunshine, trying to familiarise to the idea of losing a loved one, be it to death or insanity, it is never something a parent can adequately prepare for, is never completely mitigated even with time.

In our case, the premise is spartan, Howie (Aaron Eckhart) is persistent to get his wife to confront their grief, at least commit themselves to a weekly session of group therapy. Becca (Nicole Kidman) is cynical about the whole idea, repulsed by how other couples console themselves by way of religion,she is a character wholly contained in her own grief, and there is a beautiful scene how she, on one morning secretly travels to the city in her working attire to try resume some semblence of a normal life,and doesn't tell anyone about this.

This is one of those films customized entirely to showcase one actor’s talent, in this case its Nicole Kidman, the film does offer some memorable lines, and heartfelt characters by the side, but the rest is very heavy-handed. Its theatre origins are painstakingly there, a film and a play run differently, and Rabbit Hole leans to the latter, too many scenes of people talking on park benches, almost on call someone appears for the sole purpose of a breakdown or argument, like in theatre things run on a timer,too innately aware of its live audience.

Its all about Nicole Kidman, and she plays the character to the best of her ability, but it is a tight, limited role with nothing much to do but wallow and shout, she’ll doubt be recognized by the Academy but won’t win due to this fact, eventually the Oscars settle for more biographical roles, they play over a longer duration of time and puts the actor in a more emotionally diverse place, here Kidman is skilled as a grieving mother, but is given little else to do.

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