Had at least one moment

Rating: 9/10 (21 December 2007)

Plot keywords: dysfunctional family, coming home...well, that's about enough to get my attention when it comes to a movie. Beside the obvious reason for enjoying this let's call it genre, I have noticed that this is one of the very few subjects where almost no compromise is being made on the art, because it doesn't pay, commercially.
I read some of the comments on this one, and, although I enjoyed it a lot, I have to say it's not quite all that. First, every generation identifies with some rebellious statement in art, although further in life one might notice that the substance of rebellion is pretty much the same regardless of generation, and second, this one, aside a brilliant moment of "pure originality", is not all that original as a whole. The movie relies on atmosphere, thus the title, but somehow avoids going any deeper.
On the upside, there is an enough subtle positive message to have made me smile on occasion. Braf proves much more versatile behind camera than in front. Ian Holm. And Natalie Portman.
For whom enjoyed this one, I recommend two titles which I believe have a bit more substance: "Home for the Holidays", with Holly Hunter, and "Beautiful Girls", with Timothy Hutton and coincidently Natalie Portman, which have been made more than a decade ago, but haven't lost their universal validity.