Two Mothers

source: Two Mothers

"Adore" is generally stultifying and implausible. Though based on a Doris Lessing story, the story arc seems to come from somewhere beyond that of Diane Kurys's 1983 masterpiece "Entre Nous" with Isabelle Huppert. Two blonde Australian women who are lifelong friends find themselves deeply planted in middle age and sleeping with each other's sons. One wonders whether this is a type of emotional lesbianism by proxy or whether it is an indictment of the formulations of female self-esteem, craving, as the leads seem to, male attention at any price. The male characters of this film are cardboard cut-outs. The story takes on incest overtones and yet still bores. The otherwise exceptional Naomi Watts barely inhabits her role, and every opportunity for the finding of meaning and depth in this movie is one the filmmakers either miss or trip over.

Just read thru about 20 or so reviews...."disgusting", "disturbing"......you guys all seemed to have missed the mark on this one. *************spoilers******* This movie shows you that you should follow your heart. So what if some of you small minded people find this situation "wrong". Then don't do it. doesn't mean others cant. It's society that is wrong. They were happy. But they kept trying to go against what they were feeling instead of flowing with it. They were all quite happy. What a shame that some people cannot live the life they want to be it homosexual, whatever, because they have so much societal pressure working against them. Shame shame shame! And look how many lives were ruined? And for what? Because the guys were too young? Pfft. Real eye opener.

I'm okay with watching a movie about selfish, sex-obsessed characters with no redeeming qualities whatsoever (i.e. Wolf of Wall Street; American Psycho) BUT it has to come from an honest place within the story and not a contrivance the writer thought would be cool because it's taboo. Every moment, every beat of this movie is forced and it's a shame because Naomi's and Robin's performances are breathtaking but the journey their characters take lead them right back to square one. They learn nothing at the end and it seems the only reason this film was made was to get a rise out of audiences. --Spoilers past this point-- Two best friends (who may or may not have gone past first base when they were little girls) grow up, marry, and have children. Now, I'm assuming they led a life in all that time. They dated boys during their teen years, had a vigorous sex life, settled down, married, had kids, and carried on with their professional careers. But the film sloppily fast forwards in time and shows the now 40-ish mothers on the beach ogling their sons surfing waves as if they've never seen them before or in a half-dressed setting. Maybe it would have worked for me if the mothers were bicoastal (however that works in Australia) and hadn't seen each other or each other's sons in years then maybe, just maybe, you could make the argument that they'd see the 20 year old sons in a different, more sexual light. But that's a big, hard, wet, tight maybe. Surprisingly, the pacing of the film is great but the stilted plot overshadows it. Why is Ian so into Roz? Is it because he's still in grieving trying to get over the death of his father? Is it because he hates his mother Lil? Is it because he's trying desperately to mask his homosexual feelings for his best mate Tom? The film never hints at any of these reasons but I feel any of these options would have been better than what we are given...which is nothing. Ian's into Roz because the script says so and thus it must be. It might be easier to answer why Roz might initially be into a Ian, a handsome young man, but after the one-night stand turns into a "relationship" we're never given her reasons for carrying on as she does. Wait, I forgot, we are given one reason...the script says so and thus it must be. We ARE given a valid reason why Tom sleeps with Ian's mom Lil: sexual revenge. And we are shown scenes with Lil at best rebuking Tom's advances and at worst hesitantly accepting them, but after their one-night stand it never makes sense why Tom continues with the relationship when Lil was never on his radar to begin with and he could easily sleep with any girl his age without even trying. Ian slips Roz sexual glances and flirts with her by sharing a cigarette right before they partake in their dalliance. This never happens with Tom and Lil. Therefore, I am left to presume Tom only meant to sleep with Lil because he wanted to get Ian angry and make him feel the same pain he felt. But, alas, Tom's plan backfires because he actually falls in (temporary?) love with Lil. Why? Because the script says so and thus it must be. In the end, what we are left with are two couples who can't see past their own genitals to recognize the pain they are inflicting upon their innocent children and spouses (aka insufferable, unforeseen, insignificant others). I'm perplexed as to the reasons why the writer/director Anne Fontaine wished to make this film. Something tells me it was for "selfish" reasons. Maybe Anne was personally going through something and wanted to explore the end result through this fiction. I hope she found her answer because I certainly didn't.

Lil (Naomi Watts) and Roz (Robin Wright) are two lifelong friends living their idyllic beach life. Lil had lost her husband years ago. Roz is married to Harold (Ben Mendelsohn). Harold is moving to Sydney for a new job and expects his family to come with him. Their kids Ian (Xavier Samuel) and Tom (James Frecheville) are grown young men. Then one summer, the mothers develop relationships with the other's son. There are so many problems with this movie. There is no subtleties here. We're just plowing through this thing. There is just a fraction of a second thought. It starts quickly with lines like "They're like young Gods." Then there is a lack of appreciation of the story inherent pulpiness. It treats the story so seriously. For this kind of dysfunction to feel real, this needs some real pre-existing dysfunctional relationships. It's just so beachy, sunny, and beautiful. It's both so lite and so heavy at the same time. This is the essence of beautiful people's problems. They don't have real problems so they have to create them. Although there are some great actors, there is little life in this movie. The movie is not as edgy as it thinks it is.

The mind boggles at what was in the heads of the writers, director and actors of this laughably, so bad-its-almost-good, romantic melodrama about two lifelong friends and middle aged women who fall for each other's sons. Nobody in this film seems to have a believable job or life set in idyllic beachside locations. Despite the provocative concept, this movie plays out like a torpid middle aged romance fantasy novel - the characterizations, dialogue, directing, acting (apart from Robin Wrights impressive Aussie accent) and music is dull, one dimensional, utterly unimaginative, sometimes almost amateurish and often cringe worthy. Perhaps Watts was desperate to work at home and bring another distinguished actress with her, but despite their obvious skills, they have to deliver some shockingly dopey lines and can't save this woeful middle aged soap opera which seems desperate to find a deeper vein where there is none. Avoid.

I almost didn't watch this film due to its average rating and some of the reviews here. I suspect the negative reviews have more to do with people rigid world views and moral inclinations than actual capacity to distinguish any kind of subtlety in the way the story unfolds. Interestingly it doesn't actually unfold as one would expect and as some commentators have claimed. Naomi Watts acting is excellent and the emotions she conveys make the story believable. As for the 2 young surfer dudes, one of them actually looks a bit like Julian Wilson (Top pro surfer) which should be a pleasant surprise for the ladies out there. The location, beach houses, cinematography are beautiful and makes you want to move to Australia. Just for that the movie is worth watching.

Provoke the audience...be controversial...Then, hope it works. This does not work. The premise here is actually...THE MOVIE..!!!...And, If you are into the usual Australian soft *....you may enjoy this usual Australian...nonsense. I do like the Sergio Leone close ups, but the actors (poor things)-- have a terrible script to work with. I am sure they did not like those revealing close ups. It is a mystery to me why ageing movie reviewers here in Australia MUST..give this type of garbage great reviews. Where is the honesty.? The actors Naomi Watts the most "famous"....and the others....try too hard with an awful script. Result ?.....Funny , in the reverse sense of that word. There are those times when you watch a movie.....completely.....so fascinated by its mediocrity......you MUST watch it all. Every terrible minute. This is one of those.....

The audience is polarized in response to this astonishingly refreshing and brilliant little film: some are completely disgusted with the theme of 'aberrant love' while other are awash in the courageous work by director Anne Fontaine, Fontaine and Christopher Hampton's adaptation of Doris Lessing's short story 'The Grandmothers', and the acting by two of our finest actresses on the screen. Knowing that it is both loved and hated depending on the degree of appreciation for experimental film should be the driving force as to whether or not to take advantage witnessing this brave new film. In New South Wales, Roz (Robin Wright), her husband Harold (Ben Mendelsohn) and their son Tom (James Frecheville) live near the beach. Lil, (Naomi Watts) who is a widow, lives nearby with her son Ian (Xavier Samuel). Roz and Lil are best friends, and so are Tom and Ian. Harold applies for and is offered a job in Sydney without telling Roz. He expects Roz to move to Sydney with him, however, she hesitates. After a night of drinking quite unexpectedly on the surface Ian and Roz start a sexual relationship. Tom discovers this and takes revenge by initiating a sexual relationship with Lil. Now Roz has even more reason to stay, and later Roz and Harold divorce. Two years of these two mothers/best friend's sons affairs pass but not without the inference that Roz and Lil are lesbians - a way for Lil to avoid the approach of a suitor Saul (Gary Sweet). Harold returns from Sydney and his new highly enviable job in the theater department and discovers the affairs and summarily absents himself from the situation and from Roz. There are hesitations, but these do not last long and the secret relationships continue. Eventually Tom goes to Sydney for a promising job interview in the theater. His visit to Sydney changes everything for four of them - the nasty truth has its way to come out and alter everybody's happy lives. The rest of the film is a rapidly moving progression of changing affinities and eventual strange resolutions. The nuanced performances by Robin Wright and Naomi Watts are brilliant and very equally balanced with the sensuous and realistic portrayals By Xavier Samuel and James Frecheville. The chemistry is extraordinary and credible and makes what could have been a strained story work meticulously well. The cinematography by Christophe Beaucarne and the musical score by Christopher Gordon enhance the liquid flow of this stunning film. The story and the film itself require an emotionally mature audience able to accept variations on the themes of love and lust, but given there are mores to overcome, this is a brilliant art piece. Grady Harp

Well, I have to recommend this movie to anyone who wants to be stunned by a cozy and atmospheric setting, a convenient cast, surprisingly calm and well thought dialogs and a plot which sometimes triggers a variety of mixed feelings like disgust & attraction, shame & dignity. Overall i felt very calm and relaxed, sometimes i smiled, sometimes i wondered. The film is so beautifully shot from beginning to end that every picture has its right to exist. Although the subject could be seen as a controversy to people who don't like to think outside the box it never felt like one. This made me think about what i would have thought if the gender of the characters would be the opposite. Despite that this would be a real challenge creating a movie which feels exact the same way i came to the conclusion that there is no equality in love and life and therefore this movie works for me like a charm. The title of another (accurate) user review here can be misleading though and almost led me to skip this movie. This is definitely not a chick flick for grannies ;)