Director: Susanne Bier
Year: 2007
Stars: Halle Berry, Benicio Del Toro, David Duchovny, Alexis Llewellyn, Micah Berry
I knew almost nothing about this before watching the movie - apart from the fact that it was probably a bit too cheesy for Dan, and watching whilst stuck at home ill was probably a sensible option.
Things We Lost in the Fire is all about Audrey Burke (Berry), a woman whose husband (Duchovny) has recently died. As a result, she ends up inviting her husband's friend Jerry, played by Del Toro, to move in with her and her children.
The premise of Things We Lost in the Fire isn't bad, but it's a very flawed movie. Firstly, it tries to cram way too much into two hours. This feels like it should have been two or three movies, not one. Dealing with the death of your husband has, admittedly, been filmed a lot- but done well it's still a perfectly good subject for one movie to tackle. Likewise, dealing with a friend who has a heroin addiction is more than enough plot for one movie.
The other problem is the sentimentality of all. I was right when I guessed it would be cheesy. For the most part it's not completely puke-your-guts-up cheesy, but it's definitely more sentimental than a movie about heroin addiction really has a right to be.
Watchable, and not without its merits, but not the best movie I'll see this year either.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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