My late wife and I always agreed that whenever Malkin called a movie 2 1/2 stars, it tended to be a winner. 3 stars tended to be way overrated on the basis of the actors' reputations, and four stars meant predictable Hollywood hoke and Malkin's tendency to suck up to the industry. See his contradictory reviews of Sergeant Rutledge and Breaker Morant.
I spent my career as a stage director with a hiatus doing TV. My search for segues became unrelenting and I was particularly impressed with the way in which this film flowed. Character development was also impressive. The extent to which the family was/had been dysfunctional was marvelously understated. Certainly a minimalist triumph.
Some very strong performances here, deft writing, and superior editing make for a seamless production. The end result is a small treasure. Reminds me of Virgin Suicides.
