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Bonneville
By Clayton
Davis
The women are simply
superb in the heartwarming, Bonneville
Bonneville
The new film, Bonneville from unknown director
Christopher N. Rowley and starring Academy Award winners Jessica Lange,
Kathy Bates and three time nominee Joan Allen is uproarious, superb
experience. This is the story of three extraordinary women who go on a
road trip to bring one of their dead husband's ashes to his spiteful
daughter from his previous marriage.
Our film opens up with the introduction of our main character Arvilla
who is played marvelously by Jessica Lange who shows the audience that
she still has it in her to be an acclaimed performer. After losing her
husband, Joe, while on a vacation, she returns home to cremate her
husband and to spread his ashes when his daughter Francine (played by
Christine Baranski known for her roles in Chicago and Cruel
Intentions) has a will from years prior and orders that his ashes be
returned home with her. After Arvilla claims that her will is out of
date and he had made a new one she searches all over her house and comes
up empty. In Francine's will he leaves his house that Arvilla and Joe
lived in to her daughter and Francine is willing to trade her father's
ashes in order for Arvilla to stay in the house.
Enters her two best friends; rebellious party animal, Margene (Kathy
Bates) and goody prude Carol (Joan Allen) give their two sense and
suggest maybe it's better to give the ashes to his daughter in order to
keep her home. Arvilla has a week to return the ashes to Francine and
here starts our adventure. She decides to fly out along with her friends
and half way to the airport in Joe's 66' Pontiac Bonneville makes a
decision to drive from her small town in Idaho to a cross country
adventure.
These three women are a true delight and a testament to what love,
friendship and faith are all suppose to be. This is truly a film for an
older crowd of people but as young person, you secretly wish for a happy
life to come to you like any of these women. It's an uplifting feel
which brings a concentrated confidence for all people. With a breakout
performance coming from a young Victor Rasuk as Bo, the film plows down
the walls of vanity and brings in the sense of adoration and tenderness.
Oscar consideration is for all three women with Jessica Lange leading
the way and Allen and Bates supporting. But I have to say that it's
Kathy Bates who is the standout of all the women and completely steals
each scene she speaks in. She'll bring you to tears from her speeches
about life to her wishes about death; you can't leave that theater
without holding her in your heart. Allen is also great and we all know
she is long overdue for her Oscar and we cannot wait for her to make it
to a podium one day soon. The film’s early release date isn’t very
becoming and with no wide release, its sure to be forgotten by the end
of the year but it is definitely worth a watch.
The film is a "Grumpy Old Men" meets "Boys on the Side" with a powerful
touch and courageous feeling. The film will likely not hit big the
awards contention but could snap and go as awards season approaches.
It's playing in Toronto as a gala and could be word of mouth hit.
Grade: ***/****
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