Men, Women, and Children
Dir: Jason Reitman
Starring: Adam Sandler,
Jennifer Garner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, Kaitlyn Dever,
Ansel Elgort, Olivia Crocicchia, and Emma Thompson
119 Minutes
The typical
morning term of endearment from my wife has a different affect on me when I
hear her say it than when I read it in a text. Technology has changed the way
that we communicate, it has changed the way we express emotions, and it is
changing the way reality is perceived. There is a world of people who have a
better understanding of themselves through the technology that enables their
personality than they do in their daily lives. Director Jason Reitman
approaches this technological dilemma with a heavy-handed deliberateness in the
film “Men, Women, and Children”.
The film
focuses on a group of different people. A husband (Adam Sandler) and wife
(Rosemarie DeWitt) who have grown apart in their relationship, both
self-satisfying their wants for something different with different people
within the risqué websites of the Internet.
An overly protective mother (Jennifer Garner) controls every digital
fingerprint her teenage daughter (Kaitlyn Dever) makes, moving the teenager to
sneak around to be with her boyfriend (Ansel Elgort). The popular girl (Olivia
Crocicchia) in high school is looking for instant fame; with the help of her
desperate mother (Judy Greer) she poses for “modeling” pictures for a website.
These stories intertwine with one another; displaying the negative effects
technology has on their lives.
The themes
in “Men, Women, and Children” are all too familiar, some matters of debate on
the nightly news and others so readily accustomed that we overlook them on a
daily basis. Reitman tends to utilize the extremes of these matters for the
bulk of the multiple plots developing in the story here. Unfortunately, the
many different stories aren’t all similarly interesting; in fact a few are
often forgotten about. The film functions on the surface as a cautionary tale
but Reitman’s skill for keen character insights creates some discerning musings
into the relationships formulated through technology but also the breakdown of
relationships perpetrated by simple human nature. Reitman, who typically has a
knack for the kind of subtlety that would transcend these underlying topics,
paints the themes on a large display with flashing lights to direct the viewer
where to look and, in some scenes, exactly how to feel. The underlying
implications become forcefully one-dimensional; if it weren’t for the
capabilities of the actors these flaws would be more obvious.
Reitman
brings something worthwhile out of all the characters, especially good are
Rosemarie DeWitt as the bored housewife who seeks the company of another man
through a catered website. Her change from shy to aggressive calls into
question which is genuine. Judy Greer is another standout as the blindly
ambitious mother who sets up a website filled with inappropriate pictures of
her daughter. There is a desperation that is present; a woman who missed her chance
is living through her daughter. Adam Sandler has shown his ability, with films
like “Punch Drunk Love” and “Reign Over Me”, at being more than just comedic,
here he gives a performance that ranges from timid to comfortably numb.
“Men,
Women, and Children” is trying to be profound while imposing a barrage of
aggressive themes. This resonates in small amounts when the right characters
and story arcs are on display. Unfortunately too many wheels begin to spin and
confusion and repetition take over, making the multifaceted commentary lose
track of the poignant ideas it attempts to suggest.
Monte’s
Rating
3.00 out of
5.00
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