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Rabbit Hole (2010)

Director: John Cameron Mitchell

Time Out rating

Average user rating

6 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Grief is a difficult emotion to portray on film: the result will almost always end up being either shamelessly manipulative or coldly impenetrable. Writer David Lindsay-Abaire, adapting his own Tony-winning stage play, and director John Cameron Mitchell (‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’, ‘Shortbus’), make a bold stab at something midway between the two with ‘Rabbit Hole’, a film which refuses to bow to sentiment while allowing us insight into the arduous emotional journeys of its characters. That they don’t quite succeed is disappointing but maybe inevitable, and it’s certainly not due to a lack of ambition on the part of Mitchell or his impressive cast.

Making the most of her inherent, imposing frostiness, Nicole Kidman is a blank page as Becca, a suburban soccer mom whose beloved four-year-old son has recently died in a car accident, leaving her utterly disconnected from the world, particularly husband Howie (Aaron Eckhart). While Becca imprisons herself in icy solitude, Howie tries to find a way out of his grief through counselling sessions, hard work, soft drugs and a fleeting flirtation with the ever-watchable Sandra Oh. But his life can’t return to anything approaching normality until Becca finds the strength to open up.

The problem with ‘Rabbit Hole’ is that it plays at one unrelentingly gloomy frequency: occasional moments of humour or tension are simply unable to puncture the overriding sense of oppressive sadness. Our feelings towards Becca and Howie are constantly challenged and upended, but however much we understand them, we never come to like them. This is almost certainly as Mitchell intended, but it does make for a muted, unsatisfying experience.

Author: Tom Huddleston

Time Out London Issue 2111: 3 – 9 February, 2011

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User reviews of this film

Justin Berkovi said...

Posted on Apr 03 2011 00:04 Another SHIT Time Out review. What amazes me is that the films you give good star ratings turn out to be rubbish and the one's you give low star ratings are actually brilliant.
This is a powerful and incredible film. It tackles a tough subject brilliantly, realistically and the performances are some of the best I've seen in ages.
I won't go into any other details suffice to say just go and see this film. You will be moved.

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ARCHGATE said...

Posted on Feb 09 2011 08:52 A film to give all budding script writers hope. The material is so average and yet here with a have a film on offer to a paying audience. Nicole Kidman is such a measured actress that her performance borders on constipating not only herself, but the audience as well. This is a poor man's version of Ordinary People, which by the way is a great film.

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Mike said...

Posted on Feb 06 2011 22:42 I’ll happily admit I’ve never been Nicole Kidman’s biggest fan, mainly because she rarely breaks through her chilly demeanour. That said, this time round it works so well in this story.
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Eight months on from the death of their four year old son, this movie kicks off with Kidman and Eckhart somewhat reluctantly going to group therapy to help cope with their loss. Prior to their son’s death they appear to have led the American dream in a stunning house by a lake, working in responsible well paid jobs, with a clearly adored son. This is a very well scripted movie, the storyline and setting of which is entirely credible. The acting is superb – particularly that of Kidman and the young lad responsible for driving the car which knocked down the son.
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I suspect I’ll see this movie again. I really liked it. I nearly didn’t see it because it’s Kidman, and because TO gave it two stars. Nah, it’s definitely a three – probably four star movie.

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Les Molloy said...

Posted on Feb 05 2011 23:46 I am delighted I took note of TIME OUT's review, and star rating, prior to choosing to see RABBIT HOLE. Anything the magazine gives a low star rating is generally good and many films, given a TIME OUT high star rating, are often dull and boring. RABBIT HOLE is no exception to this theory. It is a superb fim! At least the magazine's listings are useful!!!!

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Andrew said...

Posted on Feb 03 2011 10:51 @Alex F: Mean spirited review? Are you reading the same review I am? Try actually reading the article before you comment.

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Alex F said...

Posted on Feb 02 2011 09:48 I'd take your rather mean-spirited review a little more seriously if you'd bothered to get the age of the dead child right. He's four not nine.

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