Pass the angst
‘Blackbird’ takes wing as family soap
Afirst-rate cast gives a boost to mid-level family soap in “Blackbird,” a remake of the 2014 Danish film “Silent Heart” directed by twotime Palme d’Or winner Bille August (“Pelle the Conqueror”) with the great Ghita Norby in the lead.
In “Blackbird” under the direction of Brit Roger Michell (“My Cousin Rachel”), Susan Sarandon is Lily, matriarch of three generations of a family assembled at a seaside home in the Hamptons (actually, West Sussex, England, and next door to the Kate Winslet place).
Lily, who is in the care of her loving husband and doctor Paul (Sam Neill), has ALS, and before she loses control of her body and its functions, she wants to commit assisted suicide at the end of a last family weekend.
Joining Lily and Paul are Lily’s oldest friend, Liz (Lindsay Duncan); Lily and Paul’s difficult daughter Jennifer (Winslet), her dweeb husband Michael (Rainn Wilson) and their adolescent son Jonathan (Anson Boon, “1917”); Lily and Paul’s even more difficult daughter Anna (Mia Wasikowska) and her girlfriend Chris (Bex TaylorKlaus), with whom she supposedly broke up.
Almost upon arrival, Jennifer accuses Anna of making everything about herself, including their mother’s last days, and Anna promptly proves her right.
Jennifer is the controlling wife and mother. Wimpy Michael worships her. Jonathan has not told his parents that he (no, not what you are expecting) wants to be an actor and will soon unleash some unwelcome rap at the dinner table with Chris slapping out a beat, while we try to ignore their ridiculous haircuts.
Hard-pressed members of the audience can sit in amazement as family members consume one lavish meal after another (all of which dad magically cooks up and cleans up after. Is he a robot, too?).
The house, which perches above the beach, also has a garden with chickens, which I suppose Paul plucks when all are asleep.
“Blackbird” asks the question: What gift do you give someone on the eve of her suicide?
I would say ice cream. But Jennifer delivers a salt and pepper shaker set.
Dane Christian Torpe (“The Mist”) rewrote his own screenplay.
The open-design beach house is all-white, full of books and significant-looking art, although no one thinks to quote Dylan Thomas.
Anna’s shabby-chic Saab convertible held together with duct tape is perhaps a metaphor for the script.
Jennifer cruelly presses Anna about when she will find her purpose in life and give up Candy Crush, naps and getting high.
If you’ve seen “August: Osage County,” you may feel you’ve been down this road recently.
Secrets leap out of the darkness like Boggarts.
“Blackbird” is not Bunuel or Harold Pinter, but it’s not bad.
The big surprise here is Wilson, who ups his game in strong company. A fight will turn sexy in the boat house.
Will Lily finally quaff her cup of death in peace or discord?
Only time will tell. Stick around.
(“Blackbird” contains profanity, drug use and a sexually suggestive scene.)