From 11th Feb
A tragedy for our times, informed by wisdom and surprising wit, too.
Eight months after the tragic death of their young son, splintering couple Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie Corbett (Aaron Eckhart) are struggling with how to move on from such an event. The responses of each are very different: Becca has a compulsion to get to know the driver of car which hit their son, while Howie would preserve their home as a shrine to the moment when they last held their son. Life seems like a spiralling descent into the madness of Alice’s Wonderland.
Adapted from David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer award-winning play about the need to give shape and meaning to a senseless experience, this is the first production from Kidman’s own production company. She says of her reasons for wanting to make this project: “I hope this film pulsates with life because it’s two people dealing with death but choosing life, if that makes sense, or trying to choose life. That’s fascinating to me.” A deeply emotive film from start to finish, Kidman does a superb job playing the aggrieved mother, while Dianne Wiest and Tammy Blanchard deliver first-rate performances as her direct relatives. It is a shining showcase for Kidman’s talent, allowing her to break through the reserve that is so often the top note of her performances, and she is expected to be nominated for the an Oscar for it. Eckhart delivers a solid performance as the bereaved father but his character has less scope than Kidman’s.
OSCAR UP-DATE: Nicole Kidman nominated for Best Actress award in Rabbit Hole.
