The two teenage kids of a lesbian couple seek out their groovycool biological father who turns out to be both a destructive and unifying force.
The all-star ensemble cast, including Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) and the ever-reliable Annette Bening and Julianne Moore put in seamless performances and play off each other well. Mark Ruffalo, who I had never noticed as anything special before, is a particular revelation. Having said that, given the expectations and familiarity of the stars and the small-scale, indie nature of the film, which is strong enough through its direction, I couldn’t help but think it might have been more interesting if the cast consisted of relative unknowns.
In the same vein of the likes of Juno and Away We Go, The Kids Are All Right makes the most of its trendy liberalism but the exploration of relationships in a high-tension situation is universal enough and admirably handled. On a minor note, Ruffalo’s character’s journey is brought to an all too abrupt end but in general this is an entertaining film with some good chuckles to be had along the way.
2nd Nov 2010 | Official site | On IMDb
