A weak central performance would have sunk this film, but Robin Wright Penn makes it work.
Comment
08/17/09
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009)
82
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:28
Fresh:23
Rotten:5
Average Rating:6.4/10
Consensus: Featuring a star turn from Robin Wright Penn and a stellar supporting cast, this transcends your average chick-flick despite its slender script.
Theatrical Release:10-07-2009
Synopsis: From all outward appearances, Pippa Lee (ROBIN WRIGHT PENN) leads a charmed existence. She is the devoted wife of an accomplished publisher (ALAN ARKIN) thirty years her senior, the proud mother of... [More]
Starring: Robin Wright Penn, Alan Arkin, Maria Bello, Monica Bellucci
Director: Rebecca Miller
Reviews for The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee proves that The Ballad of Jack and Rose was no fluke and that Miller can produce work just as good as the best of recent American independent cinema.
07/10/09
Miller, who also scripted, takes a familiar premise but gives it life and originality, repeatedly thwarting expectations with quirky diversions and smart twists.
07/10/09
Top CriticOn a scene-by-scene basis, though, it’s classily effective, mainly because of Wright Penn’s skill in nailing the precise tenor of every moment.
07/10/09
Top CriticIt's disappointing that a film that starts out explicitly stating its intentions to unpick an enigma ends up continually re-presenting us with a beautiful cipher.
07/10/09
Top CriticThe lightly episodic script, the unfussy direction and the other heavyweight actors, Arkin especially, just about cover his tracks.
07/10/09
Top CriticA hugely overegged pudding of a film. It's an indulgent, complacent family comedy-drama.
07/10/09
Top CriticMiller's film is a triumph. Uniformly well acted, it boasts a psychologically knowing script, clearly written by a smart, assertive human being rather than a software programme. As for the luminous Wright Penn, awards season beckons.
07/10/09
Top CriticIt’s impossible to capture the complex whole of a person in one movie (or novel), but Miller uses this limitation to her advantage, by making the mystery of Pippa Lee’s true identity the heart of the film.
07/10/09
This is a flawed film, but the quirks and foibles are what keep it interesting.
07/10/09
A quirky look at women, family and Keanu’s bod (still hot). Satisfyingly meatier than your standard chick flick.
07/10/09
Avoiding the normal chick-flick formula, this has a decent enough premise – damaged hippy chick trying to find herself through a myriad of personalities– but never gets into gear thanks to an underpowered script.
07/10/09
If it’s an ultimately shallow journey, jagged humour and a few sharp tugs of emotion keep it rolling.
07/10/09
This is not a film about finding easy answers, just brief, often tearful moments of redemption. Miller has performed an impressive emotional balancing act, and one that's often surprisingly funny.
07/10/09
It's all very slender stuff and very hard to care about the characters, most of whom whine rather than speak their lines. All in all, it's a life that should have stayed private.
07/10/09
It deserves to be appreciated for what it is - a smart and quirky tale that is also oddly upbeat.
07/10/09
It would have been better if Pippa had kept her life private.
07/10/09
A brittle, sometimes funny study in fragmentation.
07/10/09
It's well-acted, sensitive, and a tad melodramatic in its lurch from one crisis to another, but you'd forgive it a lot more for Wright Penn's magnificent portrait of unaffected goodness.
07/10/09
Enjoyable, emotionally engaging drama with a strong script and terrific performances from Robin Wright Penn and a note-perfect ensemble cast.
07/10/09
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