2009, USA
Adventure, Crime, Drama, Romance
READ THE REVIEW AT The Desert Sun.
Extended version:
Comic actress Cheryl Hines ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") debuts in the director's chair to helm her first feature film, Serious Moonlight. Written by the late Adrienne Shelly, who tragically died before her last film Waitress premiered, it seems appropriate that one of the latter film's stars would guide this production. Unfortunately, it fails to hold the sweet humor that Shelly gently conveyed in Waitress, and falls flat in a sea of aggravation.
In Serious Moonlight, workaholic lawyer Louise decides to head early to her country getaway home in order to surprise her husband Ian on a romantic weekend. Little was she aware that he also had plans to arrive early -- in order to meet his young mistress Sara before they fly off to Paris, leaving Louise with a Dear John letter and an officially broken marriage.
When Ian confesses to Louise, she accidentally knocks him unconscious in a fit of frustration. Logic escapes her legal mind as she duct-tapes her husband to a chair in the hopes that he will pause and consider his actions -- or at least fall in love with her again as a result of the Stockholm syndrome.
Meg Ryan attempts to tap into comic cuteness in the role of Louise, but Timothy Hutton only engages in rage as Ian. His response to her panicked attempts at remembering happier days are filled with coldness and boredom. His hurtful insults defuse her attempts at humor, and as dislikable as Hutton's character is, Ian is easy to root for in his efforts to convince Louise that their marriage is over, if only to halt the uncomfortable scenes.
Things go from bad to worse as the landscaper finds Ian when Louise leaves the house, and he decides to take advantage of the situation and rob their home. Usually comic Justin Long (He's Just Not That Into You) portrays the thief in a creepy, violent manner, adding insult to injury by heckling the couple for their inadequacies while breaking their valuables. Add the appearance of a hysterical and bratty Sara played by Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), and the cloud of uncomfortable dread expands.
Whether Serious Moonlight is attempting to portray the truthful awkwardness of relationships gone sour, a darkly comic sensibility or just a creative twist on a midlife crisis, the film fails miserably in all accounts. Perhaps Hines was attempting to prove her dramatic behind-the-camera chops, but the results are far more dark and aggressive than required. There is little enjoyable or redeemable about this venture, as Serious Moonlight becomes a serious disappointment.