Review of Pieces Of April

Introduction

This is one of those movies that seems to have made the rounds largely un-noticed, possibly overshadowed in multi-screen multiplex showcases by the more heavily advertised Hollywood blockbusters of the moment. And that`s a damned shame because this is a really nice movie. Independently produced (ie not a major studio piece), this movie makes up for lack of budget with a really nice script, cleverly realised by a largely unknown cast. Without spoiling the plot, it`s essentially two converging tales in one. April, a street-wise twenty something with an apartment in the wrong side of town, has agreed to cook a thanksgiving dinner for her largely dysfunctional family. Having never got on with her mother, who has now contracted cancer which we presume is terminal, the family have agreed to meet up at April`s for (possibly) the last time to attempt to create some happy memories. The scene is set for two tales that will resolve as one. April (played convincingly enough by Katie Holmes, best known for her appearances in TV`s `Dawsons Creek`) is clearly no great cook, and her run-down apartment, with it`s creaking cooking facilities, means that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Her boyfriend Bobby (Derek Luke) helps out initially but then disappears in a red-herring sub-plot in a search for suitable clothing to impress the family, leaving April alone with the insurmountable task of preparing an elaborate family dinner. April`s own oven gives up the ghost within minutes and she spends most of the remainder of the film knocking on other apartment doors within her block enlisting help. She meets a range of characters - and there`s not a little humour in the events as they unfold.

In the meantime, her family, who live in upstate New York are setting out on their journey. Her mother Joy (played magnificently by Patricia Clarkson who was nominated for an Oscar for the role) is in a bitter and sardonic mood and expects the dinner to be a complete disaster. Also present in the car are her husband Jim (Oliver Platt), their irritating and vitriolic daughter Beth (Alison Pill), geeky son Timmy (John Gallagher) and Joy`s own mother who is verging on the edge of senility (Alice Drummond). Clarkson (as April`s mother) makes the complex role of an embittered cancer victim all her own and her performance is often extraordinary. Tackling the taboo, there is plenty of dry, black humour in her performance though it never crosses the line into the offensive or the tasteless. If you rent or buy the movie, notice the power of her performance in one of the final scenes as she reflects on her circumstances in the rest-room of a restaurant. Not a word is spoken and yet it is amongst the most powerful and dramatic scenes I have seen committed to celluloid.

The films concludes in an incredibly poignant way, though clocking in at just 80 minutes the end seems to come far more quickly than perhaps we would have liked.

It`s worth noting that Director Peter Hedges (quite a youngster) wrote the screenplay himself, basing the story on a tale he`d heard about some students in an apartment block trying to prepare a big Thanksgiving meal and having to resort to knocking on neighbours doors to get the help they needed. It`s a simple idea, though the movie itself is full of complex and sophisticated layers of meaning.

Video

Shot on Hi-Res Digital Video, this movie still has a surprisingly `filmic` look. Where it tells the most is in areas of extreme contrast (see the pieces in the car where the Director has obviously given up battling with the exterior light and has settled for a lighting set-up and aperture setting that allows for an acceptable image of the key action, yet burns out all the detail through the window. But it doesn`t matter all that much - even adding perhaps to the gritty realism that is achieved here. This isn`t a Director obsessed with technical perfection, this is a Director who is driven by feel and the film is perhaps stronger for it.

Audio

This film has a gritty realism to it that extends to dialogue - which means that some of the more `under the breath` stuff can be lost. The soundtrack is peculiarly devoid of music, though when it is used it`s to great effect.

Features

There`s a Director`s commentary here that`s actually quite interesting. Its` easy going anecdotal style reveals youthful Director Peter Hedges to be likable, articulate and honest. Far more likeable than many. There`s also a `making of featurette` called `All of the pieces` which is OK if you like that sort of thing. The important thing here is the movie though, and the raw constituent parts along with the mechanics of construction pale by comparison. Perhaps these `making of`s` should be reserved for movies with break-through Sfx. They generally seem pretty superfluous to me, and this is no exception. Also included (predictably) is the Trailer which is the very definition of `Superfluousness`! You`ve bought / rented the movie - so what do you want the trailer for? Extras for the sake of extras seems to be increasingly the form. Rant over.

Conclusion

`Pieces of April` fits no genre that I know. There`s humour certainly (often surreal, frequently David Lynch-like), and there`s plenty of thought-provoking drama too. The dialogue is snappy and real, the cast perfectly formed and the direction sparky and courageous. Despite it`s small budget, this is a movie that packs one hell of a punch. It`s both an entertaining and satisfying film that marks a refreshing alternative to over-blown,over-hyped Hollywood extravaganzas. Thoroughly recommended.