Mini Review
I really didn't know what to expect from Labor Day from the trailer but I knew I wanted to see it. Thankfully, unlike a lot of other films lately that have only come out at independent cinemas (or the really big Cineworld in Crawley), Labor Day did come out at Cineworld in Brighton and so my friend and I went along to see what it really was all about.
The film opens on single mother Adele (Kate Winslet) and her son Henry (Gattlin Griffith). We soon learn that Henry's father Gerald (Clark Gregg) left Adele for his secretary, and immediately you get the feeling this was due to more than him not being able to remain faithful to his wife. It is intimated that Adele is suffering in some way, at first I thought from depression, but later you get the full story (which I won't go into as I feel it really should be seen). One day when Henry has managed to get his mother out of the house and to the supermarket, they happen upon Frank (Josh Brolin) who has recently escaped police custody after an operation. He convinces Adele to take him home with them and while at first Frank intends to leave the next morning, he ends up having to stay due to it being the Labor Day weekend, as he is unable to get out of town. As Adele and Henry get to know Frank, they see that first impressions do not always get to the heart of the matter, and in harboring a fugitive, they may actually save themselves.
I'm actually really sad that it has taken me a week to write this review because I believe that Labor Day has now finished in Brighton, and it is one of the best films I have seen so far this year.
Winslet and Brolin are superb and have such wonderful chemistry, but it's a combination of fantastic writing, spot on direction and cinematography, the acting and the pacing of the movie that make it so enjoyable and watchable. I suppose at heart it is a love story but it's not soppy in any way. You might also think that the likelihood of a woman like Adele falling for a convicted fellon over a weekend is rather dubious, but their relationship never feels rushed or unrealistic. The narration by the older Henry, played by Tobey Maguire, also adds a touch of familiarity and almost cocoons you into thinking everything will be alright. He has a nice voice which I never really noticed until now.
If Labor Day is still showing near you I really do urge you to see it. And if my review came too late I can only apologise that you'll have to wait for the DVD. It is so good though, I can only ask that you please do invest in that wait. 9.5 out of 10.
Viewing Date - 22nd March 2014
UK Release Date - 21st March 2014
Cast Overview:
Adele ~ Kate Winslet
Frank ~ Josh Brolin
Henry ~ Gattlin Griffith
Adult Henry ~ Tobey Maguire
Young Frank ~ Tom Lipinski
Mandy ~ Maika Monroe
Gerald ~ Clark Gregg
Officer Treadwell ~ James Van Der Beek
Mr Jervis ~ J.K. Simmons
Evelyn ~ Brooke Smith
Director ~ Jason Reitman
Writer(s) ~ Jason Reitman (Screenplay) and Joyce Maynard (Novel)
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