Serious Moonlight

Serious Moonlight won Best Film at the Orlando Film Festival. To be brutally honest, I think winning had much more to do with leads Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton, along with director Cheryl Hines, being far and away the most well-known participants, than it did with the quality (or relative lack thereof) of the film itself. Obviously, SERIOUS was adapted from or inspired by a play. Set in a house, in 5 brief acts; nearly half of the on-screen time is spent in the bathroom, of all places! The basic premise seems like a sure-fire winner: Not-so-successful, burned out husband decides to leave much more successful lawyer wife before she gets home from vacation, for his ditsy, twenty-something secretary. Returning home a day early, wife (Meg Ryan) catches hubby(Timothy Hutton) sneaking out in Stealth Mode. This apparently transports wife into the Twilight Zone, because, from that moment on, she exhibits the most un-attorney-like comportment imaginable! Totally losing touch with reality, she decides to "kidnap" husband until he has "retuned to his senses" and abandons the idea of abandoning her. Despite some genuinely funny moments, SERIOUS fumbles the execution. Novice Director Cheryl Hines (WAITRESS) introduced the film. She seems like a sweet, wonderful person; a more than competent actor; and a totally unimaginative, inexperienced and lackluster director. One sequence, halfway into the film, is particularly annoying: Husband and wife, tied up in the bathroom, enter into a prolonged argument. For what seems like an endless loop, the only shots/edits we get are ping-pong talking heads. That's it! Ms. Hines, should you somehow get another shot at directing, and the result is not noticeably superior...I suggest you permanently hang-up your director's cap! Timothy Hutton and a rejuvenated Meg Ryan both turn in commendable, but somewhat strained performances (The result of over-direction?) 2 things saved SERIOUS: A fair share of laugh-provoking moments, and acts 3+4.(Far superior to rest of film)

This film is about a woman coming back home to find her husband writing a note asking for divorce. She holds her husband captive to try to win him back.

"Serious Moonlight" has only two actors most of the time, and the whole film is set in a house. Yet, it manages to maintain viewers' attention by the spectrum of emotions the two go through as the day progresses. The plot is engaging, but I find the husband's change of heart a little too abrupt. The final few seconds of the film is simple and yet effectively suggests something sinister has happened, thereby opening up viewers' imagination as to why things happened this way. "Serious Moonlight" is an interesting portrayal of a troubled couple who searches their soul for answers.

This is one of the better movies I have seen this past month or so.

Meg Ryan puts on a marvelous performance as the slightly crazy wife doing whatever she can to make her husband love her.

This is a comedy unlike most other comedies out there. It had really good dialogue and some nice scenes. You just curl your toes at the extremes Meg Ryan's character goes to for making her husband stay with her. Now, it is not a comedy that will make you roll over laughing with tears streaming down your cheeks, but it is funny and have a very believable feel to it. You really get to feel for the characters of the movie.

I like Meg Ryan as an actress, and this is one of the better roles I have seen her portray in awhile. A good step away from the usual romantic comedies that she have been making.

Without giving away too much of the story, I found the plot to be very predictable. Very easy to figure out what happens early on and also easy to figure out how it will end - it is a Hollywood movie after all. And I am not just saying that because I am taped to a toilet!

I feel that 'Serious Moonlight' is a misunderstood movie. People seem to be under the impression that it's just another 'French Kiss' (mostly because of the misleading trailer). The similarities are minimal. The references (perhaps unintentional) are quite amusing but it must be said that 'Serious Moonlight' is no romantic comedy. It's more of a black comedy about a couple going through a stale marriage that is on the brink of breaking point. When the husband announces that he's leaving his wife for a twinkie, in a final desperate attempt the wife tries to win him back. However, she doesn't follow him all the way to Paris (which is what happened in 'French Kiss'). She ties him up, with duct tape, in their farm house.

Unlike the kind of humour that's often used in a romantic comedies 'Serious Moonlight' is a lot more tongue in cheek and even dark at times. Cheryl Hines, who's already known for her comedic talents, proves to be a competent director and with the late Adrienne Shelly's funny and yet thought-provoking screenplay, she has made something entertaining. I found most of the dialogues laugh-out-loud funny.

Timothy Hutton finally gets a part that's just right for him as he does full justice to Ian. Meg Ryan looks great and she's superb as the almost insane Louise. Justin Long and Kristen Bell provide hilarious support.

The twist in the end was cleverly done and works as a good conclusion with a funny touch.

If you enjoy films like "War of the Roses", you should like this one.

Basically this is a love-triangle story about a man (Tim Hutton) whose planning on leaving his wife (Meg Ryan) of 14 years for a much younger woman (Kristin Bell). The wife doesn't respond well and much inappropriate behavior follows.

Not much depth is written into these people but Ryan and Hutton do a rather spectacular job with their roles anyway. Special notice should be given to Justin Long's cameo as a thug. He seems to relish his small 'against type-cast' role. Unfortunately, Kristin Bell bores us with her very two-dimensional performance.

The plot tidies itself up rather too quickly from this twisted story, but at least we're not left with an overly long film. And the first hour is one of the darkest hours of film I've ever seen--in a good way.

If you've seen Adrienne Shelly's (the writer) other film, "Waitress", you'll be familiar with the style of this film. "Waitress" is a more complete movie with much more depth. However, Cheryl Hines--who took over for Shelly after her untimely death--does a commendable job.

I'm saddened to realize this will be the last work we see from the mind of Adrienne Shelly. As it stands, it's not a bad way to be remembered. A writer/director who had a flair for gracefully exploring people's darkest emotions and desires.

And no, I'm not just saying this because I'm strapped to a toilet!

P.S. This film is not a date flick;)