Tuesday 18 March 2014

Labor Day - preview

 Labor Day (2013) Poster



Labor Day is the fifth feature film of director Jason Reitman who has received critical acclaim for his work on Thank You For Smoking and then promoting to the Hollywood stratosphere with the double whammy of Oscar-winning Juno and then Up In the Air.

Reitman has always had an ability to do films indebted to the script and the dialogue between characters that drive the plot and narrative of the picture.  However, in Labor Day he has adapted a book by Joyce Maynard, which tells the story of a fugitive Frank (Josh Brolin) who is harbored by a single mother Adele (Kate Winslet) and her son Henry (Gattlin Griffith) for a few days.  The initial fear of Frank slowly subsides as he takes on the position of parent and husband in the home, creating a nuclear family and fills the void for each individual.

As shown here in a brief scene, the need to stay outweighs Frank's need to flee:
http://youtu.be/urXtl-CwWqU

The film appears to be a slow-down for Reitman whose films are full of movement, people on the move or people wanting to leave their natural habitat.  Here, Frank needs to keep moving however, the overwhelming need to remain and feel needed causes a requirement to stay put. Reitman though is adapt at creating a picture of small-town life and community take for instance the high school world of Juno and Charlize Theron's return to her hometown in Young Adult.

Yet this is Reitman's first attempt at an out and out dramatic picture, although the film did not garner much attention during Oscar season (a first for a Reitman picture) it nevertheless from the trailer does give an indication of a well acted piece as expected with two purple patch actors like Brolin and Winslet.

For a brief interview with the cast and crew, follow this link 

Labor Day is out on Friday 21st March at selected cinemas

www.LaborDayMovie.com 

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