I enjoyed this film quite a lot. It received mixed reviews. Some say it’s boring and pointless, and some claim nothing happens. I think they don’t realize the story is character driven rather than plot driven. This is a story about people, a particular family. It’s not about a catastrophic event or trying to survive an alien invasion. I like stories like that, but I also appreciate quiet family dramas such as Last Weekend. And those who say nothing happened are wrong.
The Greens gather at their lake house for Labor Day weekend. The mother, Celia played by Patricia Clarkson, is considering selling the place. They used to go to the lake house quite a lot in summer when her sons were younger, but now that they’re in their late 20s, they have to be dragged to the place kicking and screaming. Everyone used to love the lake house, but things have changed. There’s quite a lot of tension in the family because no one is quite prepared to accept that circumstances are different now.
The way these people treat each other is often childish and immature. We see sides of them that aren’t very flattering. They are not always likable. But they are growing. It’s subtle. The story doesn’t bang you over the head with the slight shifts in attitudes, but by the end, the characters have been redeemed despite their selfishness and imperfections. We may not all be as affluent as the Greens, but I suspect many will recognize the family dynamics.
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