FilmSnobReviews

Title: Tumbledown
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Sean Mewshaw
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Jason Sudeikis, Joe Mangianello
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins

What It Is: Hannah (Hall) is a widow of a famous indie folk singer who died suddenly in a hiking accident. This accident absolutely tore apart Hannah and her husbands family. When a professor from big city college Hofstra comes sniffing around this professor, Andrew (Sudeikis) will attempt to immortalize Hannah’s fallen folk hero former husband. What they find instead may very well be more than either of them bargained for. This small town in Maine might not be prepared for what Andrew is about to dig up.

What We Think: This film does it’s best to combat genre cliche’s. It struggle mightily to do so but ends up somewhere in the middle. Met with those genre expectations they simply side step the problem and pass by it later. There’s a genuine feeling of earnestness to the two leads. Rebecca Hall really gives a good performance but it is sadly too…unfulfilled. Her reasons for being the way she is explained enough. Blythe Danner is wasted. There is a moment where Danner’s character changes on a dime and it is uncharacteristically jarring. Visually the film takes great advantage of it’s locations rather well. A frozen pond, and a tree-filled forest are milked to brilliant effect. I haven’t even mentioned the wonderful music that fills this film. Damien Jurado channels Bon Iver to the maximum with his scoring and songwriting here.

Our Grade: C, A standout performance by Jason Sudeikis is only just because he’s more nuanced in his smartassness. There are moments in this movie that completely work from an intimate level. I’d recommend that you go ahead and check this one out if you can find it near you! Most of what we’re treated to are earned moments between two people. Fragile, broken people who sink in  to their darkest parts and all the while let us in.