Labor Day Movie Review

Warm summer love, but not a keeper.

by Casimir Harlow
Movies & TV Shows Review

Labor Day Movie Review

Well-acted and fitfully atmospheric, but hampered by a predictable plot that plays out as little more than a 2-hour expansion of the trailer, Labor Day is a well-meaning, reasonably effective romantic drama which makes for a decent date movie but probably isn’t much of a keeper.

The basic premise of an escaped con taking refuge with a single mother whilst the authorities throw a blanket down on the entire area, and gradually starting to form a bond with the woman and her young son, is far from an original one. Hell, you’ve got to be worried about how original your story is when it seems strikingly familiar to a Van Damme flick (Nowhere to Run). But, whilst the premise is familiar, and the outcome is predictable, the journey is still reasonably enjoyable.
First up, the stars make the most of the material, with Brolin finding it easy to slip into the gruff convict-with-a-story role, whilst Winslet excels as the fractured, inwardly-facing single mother who is struggling with bouts of depression. The direction is also quite elegant and sophisticated, sporadically bordering on Malick-lite, although, despite it being a fairly lengthy movie (for what it is), there are some rather random leaps-forward in character interaction, which take a moment or two to get past.
Labor Day

Still, considering the saccharine sweet tone this could have taken, the tediousness which could have adorned the clichéd notes that it plays, and the sheer boredom that really should have set in, the movie certainly has something going for it to keep you mostly engaged for the duration. Perhaps it’s the moderately authentic look at a more commonplace, but under-represented form of depression; perhaps it’s the almost-true-story nature of the piece – or perhaps it’s just that the cast draw you in with what little they have to work with – but it’s far from an unpleasant affair, simmering along warmly, and even meting out some welcome tension as the walls close in. A shade shorter, or a shade more committed to its intermittent indie stylisations, and this could have been something more memorable.

As modern romantic dramas go, you could do a lot worse than giving this a once-over, but just don't expect any surprises, or expect to want to watch it ever again.

Scores

Verdict

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6

6
AVForumsSCORE
OUT OF
10

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