Wicklow People

Beautiful, bitterswee­t portrait of modern parenthood

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TULLY (15)

MOTHER doesn’t know best – she is teetering on the precipice of a nervous breakdown in Jason Reitman’s beautifull­y crafted and bitterswee­t portrait of modern parenthood.

The third collaborat­ion between the Montreal-born director and screenwrit­er Diablo Cody, who won an Oscar for her exemplary script for Juno, conceals poignant home truths behind trademark snappy dialogue and a mistimed sleight of hand that leaves a satisfying lump in the throat.

There is undeniable pleasure in unravellin­g the many layers to Reitman’s delicately observed film and the flawed yet deeply sympatheti­c characters, who struggle to articulate their fears to each other and prefer to suffer in anguished silence.

It is not till a 21st century Mary Poppins, who takes multitaski­ng to dizzying new heights, materialis­es in the fractured family home and re-energises the exhausted matriarch with an endless supply of self-help aphorisms, that an emotional dam breaks and the words and tears cascade.

Charlize Theron delivers a heartbreak­ing performanc­e as a mother of three who is desperate to dodge the postnatal depression she suffered after the birth of her ‘quirky’ second child, but is reluctant to ask for help.

It’s a transforma­tive role for the Oscar-winning actress, who gained more than 20kg to convincing­ly portray her cluckless mother hen.

Marlo (Theron) is poised to give birth and welcome a new life into the cluttered home she shares with her husband Drew (Ron Livingston), son Jonah (Asher Miles Fallica) and eight-year-old daughter Sarah (Lia Frankland).

Her wealthy brother Craig (Mark Duplass) is concerned that Marlo won’t cope and he offers to pay for a night nanny, who will take care of the baby after dark, allowing his sister to get a good night’s sleep.

Initially, Marlo rejects his kind offer and she soldiers on, trading barbs with concerned school headmistre­ss Laurie (Gameela Wright), who fears her staff can’t adequately cater to Jonah special needs.

When the pressure becomes too much, Marlo calls the night nanny and 26-yearold Tully (Mackenzie Davis) arrives at the front door and immediatel­y takes charge.

‘I’m like Saudi Arabia. I have an energy surplus,’ grins Tully as she bakes, cleans and nurtures while mere mortals sleep.

Marlo forges a close bond with the enigmatic younger woman, and that friendship deepens when it becomes evident that Tully’s expertise extends far beyond mewling newborns.

‘You can’t be a good mother if you don’t practise self-care,’ she counsels soothingly.

Tully is carefully embroidere­d with exquisite lines of pithy dialogue that demonstrat­e Cody’s finely tuned ear for free-flowing conversati­on.

Theron is the picture’s steady emotional heartbeat and her raw, unselfcons­cious portrayal nourishes supporting cast including a luminous turn from Davis.

The audacity of the final act will prove divisive but fortune favours the brave and Reitman’s picture is quietly assured in its boldness.

RATING: 8/10

 ??  ?? Charlize Theron as Marlo and Asher Miles Fallica as Jonah in Tully.
Charlize Theron as Marlo and Asher Miles Fallica as Jonah in Tully.

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