Landline (2017)
The movie “Landline” is a typical story of a family going through hard times. This movie follows the story of the Jacobs family. Dana is cheating on her fiancé Ben, with her ex. She then learns from her sister Ali that their dad is cheating on their mom. After discovering their dad’s old affair, the two sisters became very close and decided to face their personal problems. Dana admitted to being unfaithful to her fiancé, and Ali finally faced her drug addiction. What’s interesting about this movie is that it takes place in 1995, right before the phones were popular. Therefore, the characters mostly had face to face interactions, which made the movie very interesting to watch.
In the opening scene, the camera captures Dana and her fiancé Ben awkwardly being intimate in the woods. Although the viewers did not know at first the status of their relationship, it was clear that they are very close. Yet, they also seemed as if they weren’t satisfied with their sex life. Then, we see Dana’s parents and her sister Ali all in the car together. From their behavior and dialog, one could assume that they are a close family with typical family issues. While they were in the car, the camera was shooting inside the car all the time. In that scene, the viewers don’t see their surroundings. The camera’s focus was on the family. Through camera work, we learn that Dana and Ben regularly shower together. Dana’s behavior shows that she is not certain about being with Ben. That’s when she cheats on him with her ex-boyfriend.
The camera also shows us Ali’s teenage life. She drinks, uses drugs, and has sex with her “not a boyfriend” as she calls her partner. Her family knows about her situation, and we even see how they argue with her. When Ali finds a disc that contains some intimate poetry written by her father to some other woman, it becomes clear how chocked and upset she was about her father cheating on her mother. Even though she seems as if she and her mother don’t get along. Her reaction and behavior indicated that she truly cares about her mother. Ali then tells her sister about the affair. Dana also confesses to her that she cheated on her fiancé. Ali’s reaction was priceless. She was chocked, and she even referenced her disbelief of how so many members of her family happen to be cheaters. Her facial expressions truly reflected how she felt. No verbal expressions were needed. From there, both Ali and Dana decided to find their father’s mistress.
Dana finds excuses to stay at her parent’s house. We see through camera work how close the two sisters have become. Dana is now trying to figure out what to do with her fiancé after not seeing him for a while. There was a scene of the two of them on the phone talking. Dana was crying, and it was obvious from her dialog that she regrets cheating on Ben. Ben on the other hand still didn’t know about her affair, yet, he became visibly upset as well. Dana Finally told Ben about her affair with her previous boyfriend. Fast forward few scenes, while Dana and Ali were in prison, their mother Pat confronted their dad about his affair after having sex with him. The camera never truly shows the father with his mistress, but periodically throughout the movie, viewers hear of her repeatedly. Pat and Alan seemed so distant from one another. I kind of anticipated that he would be cheating on her. He then tells her he wants to stay with her and that it was a mistake. Pat was upset, and you could see how hurt she was by Alan’s infidelity.
Throughout the scenes, Dana’s reaction to everything is truly funny. I think even though she cheated on Ben, she was not a bad person. According to Brent Lang, “I like that even though she’s a woman who makes mistakes, and she breaks hearts and causes damage, she’s not condemned as a bad person.” Not only is this movie funny, but it also shows the characters real acting skills. The movie had a happy ending. Ben forgave Dana for cheating on him. Ali also forgave her father. The status of Pat and Alan’s relationship was left unclear, which makes viewers wonder. My favorite scene of the movie was when Dana and Ali were sitting with their mother talking to her. They seemed really hurt and they supported their mother and were there for her. The camera captures them close and reflects on their emotions perfectly.
In the end, this movie can truly be related to life. It shows how anyone can overcome difficulties in life and forgive people for making mistakes. I believe that “Landline” focuses more on Dana, Ali and their mom’s bonding story than their father’s affair or the fiancé’s feelings. Each one of the women completes the story that the movie showed and presented through the camera work.
References
-http://www.vulture.com/2017/07/landline-movie-review-a-gentle-piece-of-nostalgia.html
-https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2017/07/25/in-the-1995-set-movie-landline-communication-is-hard-enough-without-texting-and-facebook/?utm_term=.f895c3c4ddfc
-http://variety.com/2017/film/news/jenny-slate-landline-why-1990s-ruled-1202494871/
-http://www.vulture.com/2017/07/landline-movie-review-a-gentle-piece-of-nostalgia.html
-https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2017/07/25/in-the-1995-set-movie-landline-communication-is-hard-enough-without-texting-and-facebook/?utm_term=.f895c3c4ddfc
-http://variety.com/2017/film/news/jenny-slate-landline-why-1990s-ruled-1202494871/