Huievest
Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.
StyleSk8r
At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
Hayleigh Joseph
This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.
Movie_Muse_Reviews
1995 was a far simpler time for interpersonal communication, right? Well, at the very least, Gillian Robespierre's "Landline" would have played out much differently set in the smartphone era. The "Obvious Child" filmmaker re-teams with co-writer Elisabeth Holm and star Jenny Slate to tell the story of a Manhattan family that appears to be falling apart when the teenage daughter discovers evidence that her father's having an affair.As with "Obvious Child," no topic is off limits for Robespierre, especially not sex, drugs and other poor choices. Teenager Ali (Abby Quinn) is a rebel child who sneaks off to clubs and dabbles in hard drugs; working professional Dana (Slate) becomes disenchanted with her fiancé (Jay Duplass) and starts falling for a high school ex and there's no shortage of outspoken marital discord between the father (John Turturro) and mother (Edie Falco).Robespierre handles each of the film's serious issues in earnest, but there's a comedic whimsy that floats through every scene, especially when Slate is involved. Robespierre and Holm's voice as a writing duo is unfiltered - both mature and immature at the same time. Slate does her best work in that gray area and continues to be an underutilized talent. Turturro and Falco are no slouches (in a year with some great movie parents) and they also recognize the dual tones of the film, even if they don't get to hold the narrative for much of the runtime.Moments of human connection are the touchstones of this story, especially under humorous pretenses. Not all that much about these moments is profound, but they're honest and relatable - nothing is fake or manipulated for comedy to an extent that feels aimed at laughter more than truth. And even though the '90s setting feels mostly about fun throwback references, it works to the film's advantage in creating a greater contrast between scenes of in-person connection and moments when characters distance themselves from each other. In today's world, there is no separation."Landline" would have made more of a splash if in the end it wasn't simply a film about owning up to and accepting flaws. It arrives there on its own thoughtful path - an agreeable path that's true to its characters - but the themes are just a little obvious. For the right viewer at the right time, however, they will strike home in a deep way.A good example of the really positive direction independent coming-of-age films have taken in the 2010s, "Landline" shows that Robespierre has a deep understanding of what kind of storytelling is resonating with young adults. Namely, she understands formula and situation and anything remotely glossy doesn't cut it. Her film exudes the authenticity, specifically the desire to dig into the questioning and unflattering sides of ourselves, that more mainstream films sorely lack.~Steven CThanks for reading! Visit Movie Muse Reviews for more
Gordon-11
This film tells the story of two sisters who discover that their father is having an affair. They deal with it in different ways.The story also tells the love story of every major character in the film. It tells how every person relates to the world around them, and how they connect with their significant others. It is very real life like, and hence it can feel draggy and boring at times. All the couples involved have different outcomes, and it gets interesting and reflective at the end.
Hellmant
'LANDLINE': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)The new comedy-drama that reteams filmmaker Gillian Robespierre with actress Jenny Slate; they last teamed together in 2014's 'OBVIOUS CHILD'. The film tells the story of two sisters, in 1995 Manhattan, that suspect their dad is cheating on their mom. Robespierre directed and co-wrote the movie, with Elisabeth Holm and Tom Bean, and Slate plays the elder sister Dana. It also costars Abby Quinn (as the younger sister Ali), Edie Falco (as their mom), John Turturro (as their dad) and Jay Duplass (as Dana's fiancé). The film has received mostly positive reviews from critics (although not as good as 'OBVIOUS CHILD'), and it's now playing in indie theaters. The film is hard to watch at times, but it's very well made and moving.The story takes place in Manhattan (in 1995), where teenager Ali (Quinn) lives with her parents, Alan (Turturro) and Pat (Falco). Her older sister, Dana (Slate), is (seemingly) happily engaged to Ben (Duplass). Then Dana runs into an old lover (Finn Wittrock), and her loyalty to Ben is tested. Ali also learns that her father has probably been cheating on her mother. The two sisters try to deal with these problems together. The film is definitely not as upbeat and sweet as 'OBVIOUS CHILD' (which was one of my favorite movies of 2014), but it is just as emotional, in a somewhat darker way though. It's hard to watch at times, but it seems very true to life. The performances are all good in it, and Robespierre is definitely turning into a very impressive filmmaker to watch for. I highly recommend it.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/PdeLWCp_JrI
Paul Allaer
"Landline" (2017 release; 93 min.) brings the story of the Jacobs family. As the movie opens, we are reminded that it is "Labor Day, 1995". The family (husband Alan, wife Pat, grown-up daughter Dana and her fiancé Ben, and HS senior Ali) are driving back to New York City from their country estate. Everyone settles back in: Dana works are an indie newspaper, and Ali is supposed to start her last year of high school but has drugs on her mind more than books. It's not long that Ali finds out that dad (Alan) may be having an affair, much to the horror of Ali and Dana. Meanwhile, Dana bumps into an ex-boyfriend at a party she is attending with Ben. At this point we're not even 15 min. into the movie. What will become of all these characters? To tell you more of the plot would ruin your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: this movie marks the reunion of writer-director Gillian Robespierre and producer-actress Jenny Slate, who previously collaborated on "Obvious Child" (Slate's break-out role). Here they bring another movie that is billed as a comedy, but in reality is just as much a relationships drama. And there is plenty of drama (biting my lip--mustn't spoil!). Of course there are plenty of lighter moments too. One can't help but smile when we see Dana check her voice mail by calling from a public phone, and many other such 90s-specific things. Jenny Slater once again shines in this movie, and it is her character that seems most authentic--in contrast to her sister Ali, who is supposed to be a HS senior, but comes across much older. John Turturro (as Alan) and Jay DuPlass (as Ben) are in fine form as well. Bottom line, this movie kept my attention from start to finish, and I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to these characters when the end titles started rolling, the surest sign that I enjoyed this movie quite a bit."Landline" premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival to positive buzz. The movie finally opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and I couldn't wait to see it. The Saturday matinée screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great (about 10 people). Hopefully this movie will benefit from positive word-of-mouth as well as wider exposure on VOD, and eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. "Landline" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
