Living Out Loud

2.5/4

Starring: Holly Hunter, Danny DeVito, and Queen Latifah

Rated R for Language, and for Some Drug Content and Sexuality

"Living Out Loud" is an appealing yet frustrating romantic drama.  It has all the requisite elements of a wonderful film: strong performances, solid characterization and nice dialogue, but it never really comes together.

Judith (Holly Hunter) is in a big rut.  She gave up her career aspirations to be a housewife, but her husband (Martin Donovan) left her for another doctor.  She finds solace in a friendship with Pat the doorman (Danny DeVito), who also has some private pains.  As their relationship grows, Pat begins to fall in love with Judith, but her feelings for him are strictly platonic.

The performances are terrific.  Holly Hunter proves that her Oscar-winning performance in "The Piano" was no fluke.  The actress is fully capable of bringing out her character's emotional pain without going over-the-top, and she has terrific chemistry with DeVito.  Speaking of DeVito, the pudgy actor has never been better.  As the self-conscious doorman with a gambling problem, DeVito gives the best performance of his career (considering his reputation as an actor and in Hollywood, one wonders why he wasn't nominated for something).  And Queen Latifah shines as Liz Bailey, the lounge singer that befriends both Judith and Pat.  It's unfortunate that Latifah doesn't get very many good roles, because she is an amazing actress (and singer).

The problem with the film is that it feels like it's made of bits and pieces of other movies.  There seem to be missing scenes everywhere, and while writer/director Richard LaGravenese lays out the ground work for a richly textured drama, the film is never allowed to germinate.  The development of the characters' relationships with Liz are especially underdeveloped.  One scene, they barely know each other, and in the next scene they're best friends.  Huh?

To his credit, LaGravenese is a good writer (although some of the dialogue at the beginning feels artificial), and has an ear for dialogue and a knack for character development.  He takes chances, but they don't always work (Judith's dream sequences and the alternate versions of crucial scenes should have been left on the cutting room floor).

There are some laudable qualities about "Living Out Loud," but in the end, I can't quite recommend the film.  It's got the pieces to make a good film, but they're not all in place.

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