Slowly Learning...

So yet another movie review...

I saw Pieces of April one night while I was home in Rochester. I got
pretty much what I expected out of the movie. It wasn't anything
overally spectacular, but was an entertaining movie about an outcast
daughter trying to make up with her family (a little) one last time
before her mother passes away. It's basically two movies that come
together at the end as the daughter cooks thanksgiving dinner in her NYC
apartment while her family makes the long drive in.

The only thing in the movie that stood out to me was the nice camera
work, especially on the family's journey. It has a very gritty
home-movie feel to it that helps give the sense of the family trying to
capture their last moments together.

Though I'm not sure about the cornucopia of people who seemed to reside
in the apartment building in what does not appear to be the best part of
town, I can over look that. I can also look past a lot of the corny
everyone coming together to help the poor girl out during her
thanksgiving troubles. I guess I can look past that cause it's not laid
on too thick. A couple people start to help and change their minds,
some are hesitant at first and swayed, etc. So it gives a
semi-realistic touch to the whole thing.

Katie Holmes also did a decent job in her part. She didn't stand out
with some stellar performance, but still proved that she can do more
than insipid teen movies. She is a real actress who can be a leading
lady.

Personally I would have liked to have seen the movie end a little sooner
(like most films) and cut out some of the old cliched happy endings
where the family has a change of heart, but what can you do.

Overall it's a solid movie, but nothing to rush out to see.

RATING: Worth a Full Price Ticket, Worth a Rental