Amy Brenneman
Occupation
Actor
Amy Brenneman - World premiere of Disney-Pixar's 'Finding Dory' at the El Capitan Theatre - Arrivals at El Capitan Theatre, Disney - Hollywood, California, United States - Wednesday 8th June 2016
The Face Of Love Review
By Rich Cline
Weak
Middle-aged romances are rare on the big screen, so it's frustrating that this one is so badly compromised by a series of contrived plot points. One gimmick wasn't enough for director-cowriter Arie Posin, who continually twists and turns the events in ways that are both bizarre and melodramatic. Within this, Annette Bening and Ed Harris still manage to create intriguing characters, but it becomes increasingly difficult to care when the screenwriters clearly have trouble on their minds.
It opens as Nikki (Bening) is flooded with memories of her husband Garret (Harris), who died five years ago while they were vacationing in Mexico. Now that their daughter (Jess Weixler) is moving away from home in Los Angeles to attend college in Seattle, Nikki has time to think. Although she wants to remain friends and nothing more with her lusty widowed neighbour Roger (Robin Williams), an old friend of Garret's. Then Nikki meets a man who looks uncannily like Garret and begins stalking him. Tom (Harris again) is an art professor, and when Nikki gets up the nerve to talk to him, she knows she's going to a very odd place.
The film is like a variation on Vertigo, as Posin plays up the freaky doppelganger storyline to add a heightened sense of dangerous tension. But it's not so easy for the audience to accept such a set-up, when one honest conversation would solve everything. Instead, Nikki lies to everyone she knows, hides Tom from them and then lies to Tom as well. It's difficult to take a romance seriously when it has such a fraudulent foundation. Thankfully, Bening gives Nikki a fragility that makes her sympathetic, and her interaction with Harris bristles with unexpected connections because they are experiencing their blossoming relationship in such strikingly different ways. Both of them add layers of interest to their characters that make them engaging between the lines. Sadly, Williams' character never gets a chance to evolve.
Continue reading: The Face Of Love Review
‘The Leftovers’ Premieres: Stick It Out, This Dark Drama Is Worth It
By Lauren James in Movies / TV / Theatre on 30 June 2014
‘The Leftovers’ premiered last night on HBO.
The Leftovers has premiered on HBO, giving viewers their first look at Damon Lindelof's disturbing new show and adaptation of by Tom Perrotta's 2011 novel. If you are a complete newcomer to the concept of the series - no, it's not a sitcom about the perils of dating in later life, it's a dark and mysterious drama about the aftermath and enduring confusion following a rapture-like occurrence.
Justin Theroux Takes Centre-Stage In 'The Leftovers,' A Dark, New Drama About Life After An Apocalypse.
The latest post-apocalyptic drama from the Lost writer focusses on a core cast lead by Justin Theroux as police chief Kevin Garvey and his wife, Laurie Garvey, who is played by Amy Brenneman. Lindelof's reputation may be overshadowed by his poorly-received Lost ending but it seems like The Leftovers may just be worth riding out.
Continue reading: ‘The Leftovers’ Premieres: Stick It Out, This Dark Drama Is Worth It
Reviews: HBO's 'The Leftovers' Makes A Solid, If Not Controversial Start
By Jack de Aguilar in Movies / TV / Theatre on 26 June 2014
Make your own mind up when the show premieres on June 29
The reviews for David Lindelof’s The Leftovers - which depicts a world in recovery after the disappearance of 2% of its population - are in. And the critics are feeling positive, if not a little confused, by the first few episodes.