Last Weekend (2014)

Last Weekend: Directed by Tom Dolby, Tom Williams. With Patricia Clarkson, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Zachary Booth, Rutina Wesley. When an affluent matriarch gathers her dysfunctional family for a holiday at their Northern California lake house, her carefully constructed weekend begins to come apart at the seams, leading her to question her own role in the family.

“I thought this was a very brave film. The film makers didnu0026#39;t shy away from portraying reality, at least a particular slice of it. They offered up light and shadow without too much commentary, simply portraying it in its subtle and not so subtle complexity. I liked and disliked all the characters. I judged some of their actions, while still caring and having compassion. Patricia Clarkson gives an evocative, haunting performance. The bulk of the cast (all the main characters) are equally believable and nuanced. Together they create a world that doesnu0026#39;t apologize for what it is, that allows us into the lifestyle of the few, while sharing the fear, love and unskillfulness that in part of humanity as a whole. I liked that the film doesnu0026#39;t tell us what to think and feel. It offers up the intimate interactions of one family, and leaves the work of perspective up to us. THE LAST WEEKEND felt more like delving into a good novel than watching a Hollywood movie, which made at least this viewer quite happy she risked the unknown and watched it.”