Ben Is Back
Buoyed by the affecting performances from Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges, Ben is Back makes for a compelling (though uneven) exploration of addiction.
The fresh task by writer / conductor Peter Hedges , Ben is Backis the late film or TV show to lot with drug dependance and recuperation in late month . Whereas Felix Van Groeningen ’s movieBeautiful Boytackles the issue in the context of a memoir and Mike Flanagan ’s Netflix seriesThe Haunting of Hill Houseexplores the subject through the lens of supernatural horror , Hedge ’s film examines the world of how dependency impacts people ( and those around them ) through a mix of inherited dramatic play and , to a less level , the crime musical style . The end final result are motley , but otherwise laudable in their own right . buoy by the affecting performances from Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges , Ben is Backmakes for a compelling ( though uneven ) exploration of dependency .
When both Ivy and Neal make it clear that neither of them think Ben ’s sojourn is a good idea , he gibe to direct back to rehab too soon before Holly strikes a lot with him and the others : Ben can stay for the holiday so long as he remains under her strict oversight . At first , things seem to be working out , even as Ben ’s presence opens up old aroused wounds in not only Holly , but also Ben himself and other people who were affected by his preceding drug enjoyment . However , before he have sex it , Ben ’s past catches up to him , leaving it to Holly to take drastic action , in the hope that it ’s not too late to save her son .
The first half ofBen is Backbears a resemblance to something like Peter Hedges’Pieces of April(or director Jonathan Demme and writer Jenny Lumet ’s own dramatic play treat with drug dependance recovery , Rachel Getting wed ) , in that it focus on family dysfunction and the maelstrom of emotion that Ben stirs up in Holly and the rest of her clan , upon his proceeds . Hedges ' playscript work is inviolable in this segment of the picture show , as it grind into the complicated and frequently conflicting feelings that Holly experiences , as well as Ben ’s own battle to be truly honest about himself and the effects that his action proceed to have on his jazz ones ( peculiarly his mother ) . Roberts and Lucas Hedges ' performance are likewise the most moving during this portion of the film , as are those from Newton and Vance . Indeed , much of what the cast does n’t explicitly say , but rather implies through their actions or references to the past , ends up being as important as what their charactersdotalk about directly .
WhileBen is Backdoesn’t tent flap off the rails during its second one-half , it does change gears , and not necessarily for the better . This is the surgical incision of the motion picture that shift into being more of a base crime dramatic play , in the sensory faculty that it focuses on Ben and Holly as they deal with various shady people from Ben ’s past times . trouble is , along the elbow room , the movie conk out to develop the more important story train of thought from its first one-half ( like the battle within the Burns family or a subplot involving a death in Ben ’s past ) in a rightfully comforting agency . It seems that Peter Hedges ' intent here was to give the motion-picture show ’s overarching narrative a stiff social organisation by ramping up the stakes in its latter one-half , but the performance feels throw and calculated , compare to the way of life the drama unfolds up to that breaker point . Beautiful Boyalso had a difficult time crafting a three - human action tale that skin a light on the realism of drug dependence and why staying clean is so knockout for those in recuperation , and it ’s a challenge thatBen is Backdoesn’t amply overcome either .
Hedges , as a director , nevertheless does a expert job of draw out captivating performances from his ensemble mold and keepsBen is Backmoving along at a steady pace ( and even wraps everything up well below the two - hour fool ) . The motion-picture photography by Stuart Dryburgh ( The Piano , The Secret Life of Walter Mitty ) further serve to ground the celluloid ’s report and character drama , bring in laborious consumption of hand-held camerawork and intimate closeups in the mental process . Ben is Back ’s visuals are pretty unstained overall , but that allows it to paint a fitly bleak portrait of its wintery small - town backdrop and , in twist , the tumultuous earthly concern that allow Ben ’s drug use to thrive in the first place . Less successful , however , are the film ’s efforts to generate suspense with the redaction and sequencing during its latter one-half ; much like his study as a author , Hedges the manager is ( intelligibly ) better at handling the drama aspect , when it comes to dramatic play - thriller storytelling .
For the orotund part , Ben is Backis concerned more with tell a meaningful personal story than make any kind of heavy statement with its up close and personal look at drug addiction . At the same time , the film does nod to the larger issues that it touches upon here , like the modern opioid epidemic in the U.S. and the social privilege that Ben is afforded as a unseasoned white male person , but would n’t have otherwise . Still , it might be for the good thatBen is Backdoesn’t go further than that ( lest it wind up bite off more than it can chew ) , and is instead content to get its fictional narrative speak for itself , in that regard .
It may not be as substantial as this year ’s major awarding time of year contender on the whole , butBen is Backis an otherwise perfectly respectable drama on its own term - one that also makes for a worthwhile addition to the recent slate of films and TV point that take a hard look at the tumultuous cognitive operation of drug addiction rehabilitation and recovery . Roberts and Lucas Hedges ( who , yes , is also Peter Hedges ' son ) are as right in their roles here and fan of either / both actors ' previous employment may want to give this one a feeling in theaters , for that reason alone . With so many " enceinte " movies come out in December , something likeBen is Backcould be a nice choice for those look for something a bit more intimate in scale .
TRAILER
Ben is Backis now playing in prime U.S. theatre and will expand to additional markets over the forthcoming weeks . It is 103 minutes long and is tell on R for language throughout and some drug use .
A woman ’s 19 year older son returns home from rehab for drug addiction on Christmas Eve , all clean and otherwise happy . Over a roily 24 hours , however , young truth are uncover , and a mother ’s undying love for her son is tested as she does everything in her exponent to keep him good . The pic commence production in December 2017 and was picked up for distribution by Roadside Attractions , LD Entertainment and Lionsgate in July 2018 . It had its universe premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival the follow September .
Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges in Ben is Back
Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges in Ben is Back
