Life for an entrepreneur and his American family begin to take a twisted turn after moving into an English country manor.
Pam says:
There was a disparity between expectations and delivery as vast as the Atlantic Ocean with “The Nest.” Writer/director Sean Durkin who gave us the frequently incomprehensible and vastly confusing “Martha Mary May Marlene,” tempers this newest feature but even with an all-star cast lead by Jude Law and Carrie Coon, the meaning behind this drama has all but flown the coop.
As Rory (Law) drags his reluctant family across the pond to a dilapidated country mansion outside of London, Allison (Coon) and her children Sam (Oona Roche) and Ben (Charlie Shotwell) attempt to make the best of things. Rory, who is more talk than action, is bleeding the family’s financial situation dry and the film becomes a representation of nothing more than a family who is struggling and parents who can’t get their act together. Rory is an extraordinary salesman, selling himself, but the product is an empty one. His b.s. eventually catches up with him and the consequences are exactly what one might expect. One of the most poignant scenes in the film comes from a cabbie who kicks Rory out of the car but not before giving him some sage advice which, of course, falls on deaf ears.
The build up is great. Each character struggles in their own way and Durkin provides only pieces of information so that we are continually guessing as to what’s going on behind closed doors. But, alas, this is all for naught as nothing truly happens. It felt like sitting down to Aunt Martha’s Thanksgiving dinner where everything looks beautiful, but it all tastes like cardboard. (Sorry, Aunt Martha!)
With no real story arc and characters so flawed that we cannot connect with or relate to, it’s a drama that’s over before it even starts.
Available on Amazon Prime Video and IFC
2 Stars
Recommended Posts
