Serious Moonlight (2009) Reviews

• A twisted Devito-like comedy.

  rwdrex2009-12-25

  If you enjoy films like "War of the Roses", you should like this one. Basically this is a love-triangle story about a man (Tim Hutton) whose planning on leaving his wife (Meg Ryan) of 14 years for a much younger woman (Kristin Bell). The wife doesn't respond well and much inappropriate behavior follows. Not much depth is written into these people but Ryan and Hutton do a rather spectacular job with their roles anyway. Special notice should be given to Justin Long's cameo as a thug. He seems to relish his small 'against type-cast' role. Unfortunately, Kristin Bell bores us with her very two-dimensional performance. The plot tidies itself up rather too quickly from this twisted story, but at least we're not left with an overly long film. And the first hour is one of the darkest hours of film I've ever seen--in a good way. If you've seen Adrienne Shelly's (the writer) other film, "Waitress", you'll be familiar with the style of this film. "Waitress" is a more complete movie with much more depth. However, Cheryl Hines--who took over for Shelly after her untimely death--does a commendable job. I'm saddened to realize this will be the last work we see from the mind of Adrienne Shelly. As it stands, it's not a bad way to be remembered. A writer/director who had a flair for gracefully exploring people's darkest emotions and desires. And no, I'm not just saying this because I'm strapped to a toilet! P.S. This film is not a date flick;)

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• NOT the 'chick' flick you might think -- thankfully!

  amanda-6942009-10-23

  Based solely on its trailers this movie is already getting a bad rap online, with many lambasting it as some 'chick' flick revamp of 'French Kiss'. Don't believe that hooey. This is a dark comedy worthy of Hitchcock, and it's far, far removed from Meg Ryan's past 'sweetheart' roles. 'Serious Moonlight' is a simple, character-driven story of what happens when high-powered lawyer Louise (Meg Ryan) finds out her husband Ian (Timothy Hutton) plans to leave her for his younger mistress Sara (Kristen Bell). Louise holds Ian hostage, the better to make him explain what happened to their marriage. Eventually, an unexpected visit by Todd (Justin Long) forces husband, wife, and mistress to confront their situation in an unexpected manner. As director Cheryl Hines suggested at the Austin Film Festival Q&A before and after the movie, the film's plot really centers on Ian's character development. I have to agree, and I also think Hines was right when she said that Timothy Hutton was perfect for this role. And while some might take Louise's decision to tie her husband up as pathetically desperate, I found it entirely believable that such drastic action would be necessary to make a man talk about his real feelings – especially when he's doing something as unoriginally asinine as finding 'real love' with a younger woman. It's no accident that Sara looks conspicuously like young Louise, I think, and much of the movie's subtext is about the difference between early passion and long-term commitment. This movie often feels like a play in the best sense, focusing on small moments and realistic conversation. Its short length stops it from feeling stage-y, however, and the actors all convey their lines with wonderful subtlety. Hines also described the meticulous process of reading through the script with the actors to determine what was funny and what wasn't. I think this was nothing short of genius; so many non-traditional comedies lose the distinction so you're not sure what the intent of any given scene is. Perhaps because of her strong background in comedy, Hines wisely avoids this pitfall, making the movie's laughs razor-sharp, but balancing them with genuinely tense moments. I won't tell you how the movie ends, because there's a bit of a twist. But I will be very curious to see what happens when it's released. I suspect that there will be some controversy about the how the film treats the battle of the sexes, and I fear some men might cower in the face of Louise's character -- Ian certainly does, at least at first. But that's almost the point, and I'm glad to see a woman-authored, woman-directed view of male infidelity for once. This darkly comic movie is definitely worth seeing, in my opinion, and given how seriously funnylady Hines takes her job as director, I sincerely hope to see more of her work soon.

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• It's like a romantic comedy except completely different

  napierslogs2010-06-21

  "Serious Moonlight" deserves to be seen for a number of reasons. First, it is written by the late Adrienne Shelly (best known for "Waitress" (2007)). After her death, her husband set up the Adrienne Shelly Foundation to help women pursue their film-making dreams. Money earned from her films goes towards this foundation. Second, there are a lot of elements in this film that are pretty original which seems to be a hard feat to accomplish for most films today. Third, the interesting casting choices, which give us the pleasure of seeing Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton in mature, grown up roles but acting childishly-stupid with glimmers of maturity and wisdom. After seeing this movie, I believe they are the only actors who could pull it off so beautifully. Add to this, Justin Long in a funny and very surprising role, and then the adorable Kristin Bell who for once is actually playing a character less-accomplished than the average woman her age. "Serious Moonlight" is a romantic comedy of sorts where we have a husband divorcing his wife so he can be with his younger mistress. Include a couple criminal activities and all plans get thrown out the window. Every turn in this movie is funny, original, thoughtful, and romantic - in its own weird way. I recommend spending your money on "Serious Moonlight". Rest in Peace, Adrienne.

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• Despite Some Genuinely Funny Moments, SERIOUS Fumbles the Execution.

  KissEnglishPasto2016-08-01

  ...........................................................from Pasto,Colombia...Via: L.A. CA., CALI, COLOMBIA....and ORLANDO, FL Serious Moonlight won Best Film at the 2009 Orlando Film Festival. To be brutally honest, I think winning had more to do with leads Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton, along with director Cheryl Hines, being by far the most well-known participants, than it did with the quality(or relative lack thereof) of the film itself. Obviously, SERIOUS was inspired/adapted by a play. Set in a house, in 5 brief acts; Half of all on-screen time is spent in the bathroom, of all places! The basic premise seems like a sure-fire winner: Not-so-successful, burned out husband decides to leave more successful lawyer wife, before she gets home from vacation, for his ditsy, twenty-something secretary. Getting home a day early, wife(Meg Ryan) catches hubby(Timothy Hutton) sneaking out in Stealth Mode. This apparently transports wife to The Twilight Zone, because, from that moment on, she exhibits the most un-attorney-like comportment imaginable! Losing touch with reality, she decides to "kidnap" husband until he has "retuned to his senses" and abandons the idea of abandoning her. Despite some genuinely funny moments, SERIOUS fumbles the execution. Novice Director Cheryl Hines(WAITRESS introduced the film. She seems like a sweet, wonderful person; a rather competent actor; and a totally unimaginative, inexperienced and lackluster director. One sequence, midway into the film, is particularly annoying: Husband and wife, tied up in the bathroom, begin a prolonged argument. For what seems like an endless loop, the only shots/edits we get are ping-pong talking heads. That's it! Ms. Hines, if you somehow get another shot at directing, and the result is not noticeably superior, I suggest you hang-up your director's cap permanently! Timothy Hutton and a rejuvenated Meg Ryan both turn in commendable, but somewhat strained performances (Over-direction Perhaps?) Two things saved SERIOUS: A fair share of laugh-provoking moments; and acts 3 and 4.(Far superior to rest of film) So, instead of 5*-IT GETS 6*.....ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!

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• A different comedy about being taped to a toilet...

  paul_haakonsen2010-02-06

  This is one of the better movies I have seen this past month or so. Meg Ryan puts on a marvelous performance as the slightly crazy wife doing whatever she can to make her husband love her. This is a comedy unlike most other comedies out there. It had really good dialogue and some nice scenes. You just curl your toes at the extremes Meg Ryan's character goes to for making her husband stay with her. Now, it is not a comedy that will make you roll over laughing with tears streaming down your cheeks, but it is funny and have a very believable feel to it. You really get to feel for the characters of the movie. I like Meg Ryan as an actress, and this is one of the better roles I have seen her portray in awhile. A good step away from the usual romantic comedies that she have been making. Without giving away too much of the story, I found the plot to be very predictable. Very easy to figure out what happens early on and also easy to figure out how it will end - it is a Hollywood movie after all. And I am not just saying that because I am taped to a toilet!

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