Reviews

Grace Is Gone

No catharsis here, just soft piano keys

By NICK MCCARTHY | January 23, 2008

1.5 Stars

John Cusack

Stanley Phillips (a weary John Cusack) may have difficulty admitting that Grace — his wife, who died fighting in Iraq — is gone, but first-time writer/director James C. Strouse has no trouble saying goodbye to his respect for audiences. Stanley represses his grief, makes impulsive decisions, frequently acts lost, and cannot find a way to tell the tragic truth to his daughters, Heidi (Shélan O’Keefe) and Dawn (Gracie Bednarczyk) — who might as well be named Precocious and Petulant, since they’re just sketches of characters. A few failed subplots and a stock liberal character later, Grace devolves into a callous game of “Will they or won’t they find out?” It’s strange that a film whose young characters are told to question the media should rely on its score to dictate how you’ll feel. There’s no catharsis here, just soft piano keys. 85 Minutes | Kendall Square

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ARTICLES BY NICK MCCARTHY

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Six sightless Tibetan students take a demanding field trip toward equality via Lhakpa Ri, a 23,000-foot peak on the north side of Everest. Blindsight, however, impedes more than it inspires.

GRACE IS GONE | January 23, 2008
It’s strange that a film whose young characters are told to question the media should rely on its score to dictate how you’ll feel.

MILAREPA: MAGICIAN, MURDERER, SAINT | October 03, 2007
All mountains, monks, and a soundtrack of wailing women, Neten Chokling’s film opens with the announcement of a birth.