Things We Lost In The Fire DVD Review

By Prairie Miller

A movie about love, death, grief, jealousy, rage, murder and recovery from drug addiction, Things We Lost In The Fire handles an awful lot of situations on its plate with uncommon subtlety, grace and affection for its characters, even when they're being selfish or just plain rude. Halle Berry gets assigned that particular thankless task, and she manages to sustain sympathy for her victimized but unpleasant character, always nearly but not quite in danger of degenerating into your basic bitter shrew.

Danish director Suzanne Bier, who received an Academy Award nomination previously for her bad parenting weepie, After The Wedding, skillfully crosses cultural barriers to direct Berry in Things We Lost In The Fire as Audrey, a suddenly widowed young suburban Seattle mother with two school age kids. She reluctantly turns for support to the person she considers her worst enemy - her late spouse's best friend, Jerry (Benicio Del Toro).

A down and out lawyer turned drug addict who's been close pals with Audrey's murdered husband Brian (David Duchovny) since childhood, Jerry's long been subjected to Audrey's open contempt, a combination of disgust for his wayward lifestyle and a consuming jealousy over the way male bonding connects men in a way that excludes women, and just can't be duplicated in relationships with the opposite sex. Guys out there and their women, know what we're talking about.

So when Audrey insists that Jerry leave the rehab facility he's just checked into, and come live with her fractured family because she's feeling blue, - and as far as she's concerned, he doesn't seem to have a life anyway - things go from bad to worse. Especially when the increasingly depressed and withdrawn mom starts noticing an emotional connection greater than her own, that this newly recruited surrogate family man has with her children. Which is based on details about these kids that Brian shared with his best buddy only, rather than her.

If you're expecting the sparks to start flying between these two love-deprived great looking stars, think again. That's not to say that the stifled but sizzling chemistry isn't there. Benicio's got plenty of those smoldering looks to spare, in Halle's direction. And a sleepless Audrey's not only been spying on her house guest in the buff as he sings in the shower, but that kinky insomniac has been asking Jerry to come into her bed at night to tug on her ear and let her curl up around his thigh - just the way Brian did - so he can lull her into some quality sleep. But Audrey's far too deep into the healing process of widowhood to consider romance. Though Jerry just may be patient enough to chase after that particular elusive dream for the long haul.

Brave enough to show a cruel and angry side of grief, Things We Lost In The Fire also comes with the first Oscar worthy male performance this year, courtesy of Del Toro as a humble, sensitive and self-effacing man struggling to kick his habit. Though his thinly sketched character cries out for a solid back story, and we're left craving to hear much more about exactly how this lawyer sank so far, ending up a street junkie, and why. But Susanne Bier excels as a director in surmounting language barriers to convey a complex menu of meaningful body language and delicate emotions - beyond the usual aerobics associated on screen with physical desire - as a full range of gestures, glances and extreme tenderness.

Paramount Home Entertainment
Rated R
3 stars

DVD Features: Audio Commentary - A Discussion About Things We Lost In The Fire; Additional Scenes: Neal Does "Mumsie" For Dory; Dwayne ODs; Howard Tests Jerry; Jerry Makes Breakfast; It All Comes Down To The Finish; Family Breakfast; Audrey Gives Jerry the Cupboard. Theatrical Trailer.

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com

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