Post by Return of the Thin Olive Duke on Sept 4, 2016 8:23:21 GMT -5
Things We Lost in the Fire
Dir. Suzanne Bier
Premiered October 19, 2007
In 2005, Universal Pictures executive Franklin Leonard conducted and published a survey of the most popular unproduced screenplays in the industry. The survey, known as the Black List, has become an annual staple for studio execs looking for peer-approved projects to greenlight, as well as a source of fascination for film enthusiasts looking to spot future trends.
Because of the 1-2 year gestation period needed for major studios to turn a finished script into a finished film, the original 2005 Black List is a veritable who’s-who of movies released in 2007; including fourteen films I have already reviewed, and five more which I will review by the end of this project. By far, the most lauded screenplay of 2005 was Allan Loeb’s Things We Lost in the Fire.
Despite their change in paths, wealthy land developer Brian Burke (David Duchovny) remains loyal to his childhood friend Jerry Sunborne (Benicio Del Toro), a once-successful lawyer who has since fallen deep into a heroin habit. Brian’s wife Audrey (Halle Berry) disapproves of Brian’s continued friendship with Jerry, but when Brian is murdered, Jerry is inspired to go clean, and Audrey’s crushing grief and loneliness leads her to invite him into their home.
Jerry turns out to be a welcome addition to the Burke home, as he bonds expertly with Audrey and her children, especially daughter Harper (Alexis Llewellyn). But Audrey is unprepared for his fondness for the family, alienating Jerry to the point of endangering his recovery.
Leonard has always been quick to point out that just because a script is popular with bigwigs doesn’t mean they think it’s the best, and Things We Lost in the Fire is no exception. Granted, there’s nothing wrong with the script; my problems with this film are wholly post-production oriented. It’s definitely the best thing Allan Loeb ever wrote (unfortunately, it was also his first produced screenplay). Benicio Del Toro kills it as Jerry, and practically saves the movie. But while this is definitely better than most of 2007’s crop, I have made very clear my disinterest in talky, character-based melodramas which exist solely for the purpose of winning awards.
And it’s not just hard to watch for its subject matter, which is surprisingly ahead of its time, depicting as it does a upper-middle-class white professional who's fallen prey to opiate addiction. It’s unnecessarily slow, more padded than a meditative slow-burn. The entire first act is pointlessly scrambled, scenes rearranged in a seemingly random order, as if the editor realized that holding the audience’s attention would be difficult. And while I respect what Things We Lost in the Fire is trying to do, and mostly succeeding, that’s a big “mostly,” and consequently it’s not something I would recommend.
Signs This Was Made in 2007
Brian assures Jerry in a sort-of flashback that the Federal Reserve’s raising of interest rates won’t affect him because “this refi boom’s got good legs.” Quite a lot of the film includes the Brian’s and later Harper’s enthusiasm for the future of the Seattle Sonics. The near future isn’t going to be good for these people.
Also in Theaters
30 Days of Night, Gone Baby Gone, Rendition, Reservation Road, Sarah Landon and the Paranormal Hour, and Things We Lost in the Fire all premiered on October 19, 2007. The same weekend saw the release of:
Next Time: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Dir. Suzanne Bier
Premiered October 19, 2007
In 2005, Universal Pictures executive Franklin Leonard conducted and published a survey of the most popular unproduced screenplays in the industry. The survey, known as the Black List, has become an annual staple for studio execs looking for peer-approved projects to greenlight, as well as a source of fascination for film enthusiasts looking to spot future trends.
Because of the 1-2 year gestation period needed for major studios to turn a finished script into a finished film, the original 2005 Black List is a veritable who’s-who of movies released in 2007; including fourteen films I have already reviewed, and five more which I will review by the end of this project. By far, the most lauded screenplay of 2005 was Allan Loeb’s Things We Lost in the Fire.
Despite their change in paths, wealthy land developer Brian Burke (David Duchovny) remains loyal to his childhood friend Jerry Sunborne (Benicio Del Toro), a once-successful lawyer who has since fallen deep into a heroin habit. Brian’s wife Audrey (Halle Berry) disapproves of Brian’s continued friendship with Jerry, but when Brian is murdered, Jerry is inspired to go clean, and Audrey’s crushing grief and loneliness leads her to invite him into their home.
Jerry turns out to be a welcome addition to the Burke home, as he bonds expertly with Audrey and her children, especially daughter Harper (Alexis Llewellyn). But Audrey is unprepared for his fondness for the family, alienating Jerry to the point of endangering his recovery.
Leonard has always been quick to point out that just because a script is popular with bigwigs doesn’t mean they think it’s the best, and Things We Lost in the Fire is no exception. Granted, there’s nothing wrong with the script; my problems with this film are wholly post-production oriented. It’s definitely the best thing Allan Loeb ever wrote (unfortunately, it was also his first produced screenplay). Benicio Del Toro kills it as Jerry, and practically saves the movie. But while this is definitely better than most of 2007’s crop, I have made very clear my disinterest in talky, character-based melodramas which exist solely for the purpose of winning awards.
And it’s not just hard to watch for its subject matter, which is surprisingly ahead of its time, depicting as it does a upper-middle-class white professional who's fallen prey to opiate addiction. It’s unnecessarily slow, more padded than a meditative slow-burn. The entire first act is pointlessly scrambled, scenes rearranged in a seemingly random order, as if the editor realized that holding the audience’s attention would be difficult. And while I respect what Things We Lost in the Fire is trying to do, and mostly succeeding, that’s a big “mostly,” and consequently it’s not something I would recommend.
Signs This Was Made in 2007
Brian assures Jerry in a sort-of flashback that the Federal Reserve’s raising of interest rates won’t affect him because “this refi boom’s got good legs.” Quite a lot of the film includes the Brian’s and later Harper’s enthusiasm for the future of the Seattle Sonics. The near future isn’t going to be good for these people.
Also in Theaters
30 Days of Night, Gone Baby Gone, Rendition, Reservation Road, Sarah Landon and the Paranormal Hour, and Things We Lost in the Fire all premiered on October 19, 2007. The same weekend saw the release of:
- Football “satire” The Comebacks. To give you an idea of what kind of movie it is, the foreign title is Sports Movie.
- A horribly received CGI version of The Ten Commandments.
- Uwe Boll’s “comedy” Postal, a film I didn’t know about until it was too late to review it, but from what I’ve heard, it would probably make my bottom ten. My bad.
Next Time: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead