Susan Granger’s review of “Lovely & Amazing” (Lions Gate Films)
Talk about dysfunctional families! When writer/director Nicole Holofcenter (“Walking and Talking”) decided to tackle a two-generational drama about women trying to establish and maintain emotional connections, she drew from her own life’s experiences, including mixed-race adoption. As the story begins, matronly Jane Marks (Brenda Blethlyn) is preparing for elective liposuction surgery, and it becomes rapidly obvious that her perennial struggle for a positive self-image has been passed onto her three neurotic daughters. There’s Elizabeth (Emily Mortimer), an aspiring actress, who cajoles a callous, egomaniacal actor/lover into delineating the imperfections of her nude body in, without doubt, the most memorable scene in the film; Michelle (Catherine Keener), an embittered artist, who shields her self-doubt behind a surly disposition as her husband fails to appreciate her talent and no art gallery wants to display her handmade, miniature, decorative chairs; and, most poignantly, Annie (Raven Goodwin), a chubby, precocious, adopted African-American eight year-old who wants to “tear off” her dark skin. The men who inhabit their insecure sphere include Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Nouri, James LeGros, Clark Gregg, and Dermot Mulroney. Nicole Holofcenter is perceptive, witty and analytical about the quirky, conflicted characters she’s created, forcing them – briefly – to look beyond themselves to help one another in a period of crisis. If you enjoy angst-ridden dramas about flawed, floundering females, you may deem this charming; if not, you may find it a bit self-indulgent. Either way: the acting, the tone and the production values are commendable. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Lovely & Amazing” is a lively, engaging 6, but there’s a lot of obsessive self-loathing to overcome.
