This Is Where I Leave You is the latest film from director Shawn Levy. Based on the novel by Jonathan Tropper, the film follows the dysfunctional Altman family as they come home to sit shiva after their father’s death.
Following the structure of just about every big-budget indie film of recent years, This Is Where I Leave You attempts to provide a ‘realistic’ insight into just how crazy families can be. This shtick is getting pretty tired, and This Is Where I Leave You relies on many genre’s tropes; an overbearing and over-sharing mother, a range of sons who need to get in touch with their emotions, and a tragic circumstance to bring them together in order to solve all their problems and ultimately realise that family means everything.
While the narrative is slightly hackneyed, the cast is fantastic, bringing a lot of depth to what would’ve otherwise been a completely underwhelming film. Jason Bateman is surprisingly good in the lead role of Judd Altman, demonstrating his serious acting chops. The large supporting cast all hold their own – honourable mention to Adam Driver, Corey Stoll and Kathryn Hahn, who stand out from the crowd in small but weighty roles. The only real weak link in this chain is Jane Fonda, who hams it up at every single opportunity, breaking the film’s attempts at realism.
This Is Where I Leave You tries its hardest to be life-affirming in the face of tragedy, but it doesn’t quite get there in the end. Though all the acting is pretty fantastic, the narrative just doesn’t match up, and while the first half of the film swings for realism, the second half settles for cheese.
3/5 stars
This Is Where I Leave You opens in cinemas Thursday October 23.
