Self-aware, but pretty good anyway

Rating: 7/10 (30 March 2008)

Almost every technical aspect of this movie was great. The story is compelling and original: there are other movies about mid-life crises, but this one is more complex and has several side plots that include the family and neighbors. The acting very good all around. Spacey is still just a little pushy, but it rarely gets in the way. The Ricky character is a bit overwrought. The pacing was excellent too, because the writing gave you just enough time to think about what you were seeing, or at least get your instinct involved. And of course, it's shot well. For those who think that sort of thing doesn't matter much, this movie will provide many great examples proving my point about the effect of good camera work to the average Joe.
Before you read the rest, keep in mind that I actually recommend this movie for the above reasons. They've all been covered in detail by many others I'm sure, and rightfully so. However, it often gets hyped as "One of the best movies I've seen" whenever anyone makes a list that goes beyond 5 movies. This is as much a reaction to that as it is a review.
There are some funny moments and some graphic ones. There's a good amount of tension and release. All this adds to the realism and is expertly portrayed by the relationships between parents and children and the parents themselves. My main problem with the film is the issue of self-righteousness which seems to be praised throughout. Lester's character is supposed to a hero, and that's fine. But he's a flawed one at least. I think the film tries to convey the opposite message. Selfishness abounds in this movie to the point where it becomes preachy. The message "do what feels good" were subtle enough to fool a lot of people into thinking there was more here than there really was. Tarantino would've had a gospel choir sing a song called "do what feels good" I think. Mendes was smarter than that.
Still, it's well worth watching, but make sure you're mature enough to see past the flaws. A man with Mendes' talent could've easily gotten rid of the preachy implications of Chris Cooper's next-door visit to Lester's garage (I don't want to give it away but you'll know when you see it). Ricky's emotive recount of how he felt filming the plastic bag is kind of vomit inducing too. But these small miscalculations really took a lot away from an otherwise great movie. It wouldn't have been so obvious and wouldn't have been so forceful on the modern existentialism, but it would've been more real as a result. It could've been a masterpiece. Should've been a contender.