A subliminal study of the human grief process.
Davis Mitchell, a successful investment banker, struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash. Despite pressure from his father in law, Phil, to pull it together, Davis continues to unravel.What starts as a complaint letter to a vending machine company turns into a series of letters revealing startling personal admissions. Davis' letters catch the attention of customer service rep, Karen Mareno and amidst emotional and financial burdens of her own, the two form an unlikely connection.With the help of Karen and her son, Chris, Davis starts to rebuild, beginning with the demolition of the life he once knew.
The script is able to encapsulate the full spectrum of human emotion and the performances from Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts and Chris Cooper bring this dialogue to life superbly. While this movie is in essence perfect, it is uncomfortable to watch due to the subject matter. While the cinematography, score and direction were all on-point it doesn’t make it any easier to digest the film.
Every once in a while a gem of a film comes a long and this is it - I haven’t seen a movie this perfect in a very long time - it is brilliant in all ways. However, it is difficult to watch due to the tough subject matter of grief. It’s emotionally powerful and only occasionally uses clichés, though its easy to forgive. One you need to watch.
Demolition releases in July.
5 Stars
Review by Benjamin Maio Mackay
Screening courtesy of 20th Century Fox
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