Tully explores the less glamorous side of motherhood
Tully stars Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, and Ron Livingston and is directed by Jason Reitman who directed movies such as Juno and Young Adult.
The story revolves around Marlo (Theron), a mother of two children with a third on the way. When it seems like all hope for having a decent life and at least a bit of sleep is lost because of her duties as a mother Tully, a night nanny named Tully (Davis) appears to help out Marlo.
Tully is a very interesting movie. It does not entirely focus on a specific event or an incident but rather on a stage of life as a whole.
Through the eyes of Marlo, we can see how different her life is now compared to what she might have wished it was, and Tully only highlights this all the more.
The two characters play off each other extremely well. Their interactions are what make every insignificant activity interesting.
The performances by both Theron and Davis are magnificent.
They present very complex emotions and ideas through their performances.
The chemistry between the two is captivating: Though they seem to be worlds apart in how they approach life, they are actually very similar.
Trust develops between them very quickly. They seem to need each other. Though the film centers on these two characters, Marlo’s husband, played by Ron Livingston, and her wealthy brother, played by Mark Duplass, also do well and do their part to serve the plot.
It is amazing how relatable this film is, considering it is mostly about the hectic life of a mother, but the writer, Diablo Cody, and director, Reitman, find a way to connect the characters’ feelings and experiences to something most people can relate to.
The director and writer do a perfect job of meshing humor into the wearying drama of having a child.
The comedy in Tully juxtaposed with the constant dreariness of everything around Marlo’s life make every witty comment even funnier.
Reitman does as good a job as I have ever seen at showcasing what the struggles of being a mother must feel like and how tough they are both emotionally and physically.
This movie will get you to a point where you will not even want to contemplate the idea of having children after witnessing what Marlo goes through including sleep deprivation, depression, severe stress and many other un-pleasantries, but it will also turn this around at the end.
This film is based around growing older and how a person changes as time passes and as they face new obstacles, but it also reminisces on past stages in life when maybe things seemed simpler.
Though I do not have any children, though I’m not a woman and though I’m not even married, I feel like I found many things in this movie that I could connect with and learn from.
While Tully demonstrates the toll that life takes on you, but it also encourages you to keep on going and not look down on yourself. This is a very worthwhile message.