Film Review: Rabbit Hole

In the post-2010 scramble to see all the movies I have missed, most times I am only mildly affected by a film. Exit Through the Gift Shop, spectacular and brilliant as it may be, didn't seem to change my life as much as it has changed others. 127 Hours was inspirational and powerful, but it was hindered by the fact that I knew what was going to happen from the moment it started. Everyone has made such a big fuss about the crucial arm-cutting scene, and they're starting to think that that's all the film is about. It makes it impossible to go into it with the unsuspecting mindset that you don't know what will happen. The film that really blew me away, far more than I expected it to, was Rabbit Hole from director John Cameron Mitchell.

Sometimes it is the most simple and mundane of plots that truly grab you, not to belittle the extreme and heartbreaking trials the film presents. The focus is on Becca and Howie Corbett, a married couple who are still recovering over the traumatic and shocking loss of their child, Danny. As they struggle through their grief, Howie befriends somebody who's been at their focus group for a grand total of eight years, and Becca starts meeting with the teenage boy who was driving the car that accidentally killed young Danny. Becca gets some guidance from her mother Nat, who also went through a similar tragedy.

So rarely there is a film where you're content with watching a bunch of sad people slowly begin to rebuild their life, but the dangerous nature of Rabbit Hole made it so captivating. It's like this massive and impulsive bomb that could go off at any moment, and when it does, it's a release of powerful and aggressive emotion. Of course, none of this would ever be able to work without two powerful leads at the front of the venture. Nicole Kidman is getting most of the applause and votes, and there's some complexity to her sorrow. She's trying desperately to escape from it, rather than move past it, and that causes a great deal of turmoil.

However, the unappreciated standout of this film is Aaron Eckhart, best known for his work in Thank You For Smoking and The Dark Knight. His work in the film is so vibrantly warm and emotional, and he's the sort of sensible human being who is placed in these horrible situations. It's a character everyone can empathize with, and he keeps those human links close to the surface. The argument between Becca and Howie is amongst my favorite scenes of 2010, with Eckhart dealing out so much tearful aggression that to not give him an Oscar nomination should be a crime. Somehow he's missing out this year, and it's another work of his that gets painfully overlooked. Rabbit Hole doesn't exactly move at a quick pace, but every moment nails you to wall, with deep emotional exchanges and excellent supporting work from Dianne Weist. I never expected to truly love this film, yet I gladly did.

A+