Jason Reitman’s incisive slice of modern suburbia is a sad, humourous and painfully relevant snapshot of our subservience to social media.
Men, Women And Children
[rating=4]
Pale Blue Dots by Dave O’Flanagan
Signifying the antithesis of last year’s disappointing, Labor Day, Jason Reitman’s latest film is an astute examination of the societal myopia caused by our ever-growing dependence on technology. Highlighting the irony in the isolation and desensitisation that has become symptomatic of our interconnectivity, it’s a sad and sometimes depressing indictment on the ‘progress’ of the human race. However, with an abundance of Reitman’s customary wry and clever humour, it’s not all doom and gloom. The ensemble cast are pitch-perfect, with newcomer Ansel Elgort, Rosemarie DeWitt and Dean Norris delivering nuanced and affecting performances. In particular, Dean Norris’ earnest and heartfelt performance as Kent Mooney is one of the best supporting roles of 2014. For all of the criticism he attracts, it’s also important to highlight Adam Sandler’s ability for eking likeable serious characters out of all the other nonsense he produces from time to time. Outside of one particularly clichéd and melodramatic showdown, Reitman barely puts a foot wrong with this touching, well-rounded and enthralling slice of contemporary culture.
Men, Women And Children is showing on Oct 9th, 10th & 11th at the 58th BFI London Film Festival
