Writers
(USA, 96 min.)
Written and directed by Josh Boone
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly, Lily Collins, Nat
Wolff, Kristen Bell.
Writers is one of
those quirky little indie films that suffers from first feature syndrome. It's
a cute little multi-generational story about a family of writers and their
joint lesson in learning that life and fiction are not the same. The film is a
decent first effort by writer/director Josh Boone, for Writers is driven by characters and their love for words, and to
some extent each other. Writers is a
talky film and a bit too wordy for its own good. For a film about three art of
the writing process, however, it just feels so... written.
His failed marriage is much like a rough draft of his relationship
with his children since he pushed away his ex-wife, Erica (played by Jennifer
Connelly), because he treated her more like one of his characters than his
wife. Much like Bill's life, Writers
is far too constructed. Aside from a few key performances (i.e. Connelly), the
lives of the Borgens play out forced and contrived. The characters aren't
particularly likeable either, with Sam coming off as an especially repugnant
bitch. She’s one of those haughty, self-righteous ice queens to whom everyone
seems to gravitate. There's simply no one to root for in Writers, and every good novel needs an intriguing protagonist no
matter how bad or banal that person may be.
A roster of unsympathetic characters works on occasion, but
not when they're presented as self-consciously as they are here. Every quirk
and idiosyncrasy seems tacked on. Bill advises his kids that real writing
emerges in the details, but he forgets to remind them to make it feel real. The
real art resides in capturing life, and Boone seems ready to take the next
step. There are some moments of honesty and heart in Writers, but they are few and far between. The film too often gets
caught up in its own self-awareness, from the onscreen text that introduces the
characters to the on-the-nose indie soundtrack that seems more concerned with
celebrating its own eclecticism than in drawing out the emotions of each scene.
There's much promise in Writers and
the film could find a decent life on home vid and on demand. It's nothing to
write home about, but Writers could
be at home with some viewers in search of light indie fare.
Rating: ★★½ (out of ★★★★★)