Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
Welcome To The Rileys
Collapse
-
- Published: 02-06-2011, 04:43 PM
- 0 comments
X
Collapse
-
Welcome To The Rileys
Released By: Sony
Released On: 02/01/2011
Director: Jake Scott
Cast: James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo, Kristen Stewart, Ally Sheedy
The Film:
In this day of mega-blockbuster cinematic letdowns, it's comforting to know that there are still good writers and solid actors in the world that are dedicated to making good films. Welcome To The Rileys is one of these films, an emotional look at a strangely broken home.
Doug Riley (James Gandolfini) owns his own plumbing business, drives a Cadillac, has a nice home, and can afford to lose his shirt in a weekly poker game. His wife, Lois (Melissa Leo) doesn't have to leave her home, isn't required to work, and has a hairdresser who does house calls. For a few moments, they are pretty much the portrayal of success. But some things are obviously not right; Doug is having an affair with a local waitress, Lois isn't staying at home by her own choice as opposed to a mental condition, and there's a well-preserved girl's bedroom at the end of the hall that brings up awkward silences when it's discussed by a visitor.
While traveling with his brother-in-law to New Orleans on a business trip, Doug meets Mallory (Kristen Stewart), a teenage stripper in the French Quarter of the city. Motivated by the sense of loss and responsibility for his deceased daughter, Doug takes it upon himself to care for her. In a series of drastic actions, he informs his brother-in-law that he's selling his business, he informs his wife that he's not coming home for awhile, and he moves into Mallory's run down house where he assumes the role of father figure to the damaged runaway.
Drawn to her husband by raw emotion, Lois breaks free of the confines of her home, her sedatives, and her antidepressants, and, paper bag in hand in case of hyperventilation, makes the drive from Indiana to New Orleans to be with Doug. For both of the Rileys, this is the first step in a healing process that they have both been avoiding since the car crash that killed their teenage daughter, and they both find themselves trying to make up for their mistakes by helping Mallory….with mixed results.
Welcome to the Rileys has a lot going for it, and the anchor of that potential is Ken Hixon's excellent script. The dialogue comes off as natural to most of the players, and although there isn't a lot happening on screen at any particular time, it is his characters that the actors are bringing to life. A spectacular cast in the form of Gandolfini and Leo helps move everything along, especially Gandolfini, whom one imagines hasn't had the easiest time shaking his Tony Soprano typecasting. Unfortunately, a cast is sometimes only as strong as its weakest link, and Gandolfini and Leo both have their work cut out for them in dragging along Kristen Stewart. It's hard to imagine a worse casting choice than Stewart; notorious for her confused, wooden acting style, she yanks the viewer out of reality every time she utters a line, and she is completely unconvincing as the troubled runaway. As a result, her scenes almost demolish the established story's credibility, and it is only through the talent of the other cast members that Welcome To The Rileys remains a worthwhile film.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Welcome To The Rileys is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic and looks great on this blu ray presentation. Colours are well-balanced and free of noise and artefacts, and the shots of New Orleans look wonderful. The 5.1 DTS HD track doesn't have the activity of an action film, but the dialogue is clear and consistent throughout the film with no issues.
Creating The Rileys is a short featurette with Writer Ken Hixon, Director Jake Scott, the Producers of the film and various cast members, and has a good amount of information presented in the short running time on getting the movie made, the inspiration behind Hixon's script, and the concerns over casting Gandolfini.
A Trailer Reel is also included in the supplements.
The Final Word:
One of the better movies of 2010, Welcome To the Rileys is well worth the watch, particularly for the performances of James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo.Posting comments is disabled.
Categories
Collapse
article_tags
Collapse
- album review (218)
- album reviews (274)
- arrow video (271)
- blu-ray (3225)
- blu-ray review (4162)
- comic books (1392)
- comic reviews (872)
- comics (988)
- dark horse comics (484)
- dvd and blu-ray reviews a-f (1969)
- DVD And Blu-ray Reviews G-M (1711)
- DVD And Blu-ray Reviews N-S (1757)
- DVD And Blu-ray Reviews T-Z (878)
- dvd review (2512)
- idw publishing (216)
- image comics (207)
- kino lorber (391)
- movie news (260)
- review (318)
- scream factory (279)
- severin films (298)
- shout! factory (537)
- twilight time (269)
- twilight time releasing (231)
- vinegar syndrome (497)
Latest Articles
Collapse
-
Released by: Grindhouse Releasing
Released on: March 12th, 2024.
Director: William Grefé
Cast: William Shatner, Jennifer Bishop, Ruth Roman, Harold Sakata
Year: 1974
Purchase From Amazon
Impulse – Movie Review:
Directed by the one and only William Grefé, 1974’s Impulse is one of those rare films that allows you to witness what it would be like if a really sweaty William Shatner got mad at a lady carrying balloons. Before that...-
Channel: Movies
04-15-2024, 01:20 PM -
-
Released by: Severin Films
Released on: April 30th, 2024.
Director: Andrew Legge
Cast: Emma Appleton, Stefanie Martini, Rory Fleck Byrne
Year: 2022
Purchase From Amazon
Lola – Movie Review:
Irish filmmakers Andrew Legge’s 2022 movie, ‘Lola’, which was made during Covid-19 lockdowns, is a wildly creative movie made in the found footage style that defies expectations, provides plenty of food for thought and manages to make...-
Channel: Movies
04-10-2024, 04:09 PM -
-
Released by: Vinegar Syndrome
Released on: March 26th, 2024.
Director: Jess Franco, Jorge Grau, Pedro L. Ramírez
Cast: Alberto Dalbés, Evelyne Scott, Fernando Rey, Marisa Mell, Wal Davis, Norma Kastel
Year: 1974
Purchase From Amazon
Spanish Blood Bath – Movie Review:
Vinegar Syndrome brings a triple feature of Spanish horror films of the in this new three-disc Blu-ray boxed set. Here’s what lies inside…
Night Of The...-
Channel: Movies
04-10-2024, 04:02 PM -
-
Released by: Universal Studios
Released on: April 9th, 2024.
Director: Zelda Williams
Cast: Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Carla Gugino, Joe Chrest, Henry Eikenberry
Year: 2024
Purchase From Amazon
Lisa Frankenstein – Movie Review:
The feature-length directorial debut of Zelda Williams, 20214’s Lisa Frankenstein takes place in 1989 and follows a teenaged girl named Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton) who, two years ago, lost her mother...-
Channel: Movies
04-03-2024, 03:40 PM -
-
Released by: Severin Films
Released on: April 30th, 2024.
Director: Gianfranco Giagni
Cast: Roland Wybenga, William Berger, Stéphane Audran
Year: 1988
Purchase From Amazon
Spider Labyrinth – Movie Review:
Professor Alan Whitmore (Roland Wybenga) is an American who works as a Professor of languages studies and has a fascination bordering on obsession with translating pre-Christian religious texts. He was also locked in a closet...-
Channel: Movies
04-03-2024, 03:37 PM -
-
Released by: Mondo Macabro
Released on: April 9th, 2024.
Director: Arizal
Cast: Barry Prima, Eva Arnaz, W.D. Mochtar
Year: 1982
Purchase From Amazon
Special Silencers – Movie Review:
When director Arizal’s 1982 epic begins, we meet a man named Gumilar (W.D. Mochtar), a sinister dude who has constantly bloodshot eyes. He’s meeting with a man about some sort of business deal, but a flashback shows us how some time ago he killed...-
Channel: Movies
04-03-2024, 03:35 PM -