The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009) Reviews

• The best type of adult film

  rogerdarlington2009-07-31

  This will be regarded as 'a woman's movie' since it is written and directed by a woman (Rebecca Miller) and its central character (Robin Wright Penn) and most of the support roles (Julianne Moore, Winona Ryder, Blake Lively, Mario Bello, Monica Bellucci) are women too. But the male roles (Alan Arkin and Keanu Reeves) contribute to a stellar cast and the themes of self-discovery and self-expression are universal. If Pippa is angst-ridden, it's because she's had a traumatic life and the movie reveals a series of dramatic incidents, while concluding on a hopeful note. With not a car chase or a special effect in sight, this is an adult film in the proper sense of the word and as such well-worth viewing.

• All together one of the best films I've seen in a while

  sunraes2009-09-20

  I was expecting this film to follow yet another "troubled housewife that pretends to be content" storyline, and it kind of does. But it plays it out in such an interesting and original manner. Nothing goes as expected, and all of the actors play their parts brilliantly. Blake Lively performs her part so beautifully that it is easy to see she will soon break out of the "Gossip Girl" personality that is so often pinned on her. Keanu Reeves is excellent in his role as well, and Maria Bello, Julianne Moore, Winona Ryder, and Alan Arkin show that they are still excellent actors and will continue thriving. But it is really Robin Wright Penn that steals the show in Pippa Lee. She performs naturally and makes her character hold more depth and presence then was imaginable. Only problem I found was the transition between the young Pippa Lee and the older one. I never quite understood how the young became the old, because of the huge differences between the actresses' roles. How did the young Pippa really become the older Pippa? No explanations offered were quite satisfying. But altogether, this was a fantastic film and I recommend it for everyone with 93 minutes to spare to go see it immediately.

• Almost Woody

  harry_tk_yung2010-05-21

  The opening scene looks like something out of a Woody Allen movie – a small dinner gathering of cultured upper middle class people in an upscale Connecticut home. That "Woody feeling" is further reinforced later in the film in a flashback of a romantic encounter between a successful middle-age (and ageing) intellectual and a pretty young thing. It's really more than a flashback, but more like parallel running of two different temporal strands of a story: 30-years ago and now. Herb and Pippa Lee in the "now" sequence are a well-established couple, pushing 80 and 50 respectively, he refusing to acknowledge that one day he is going to die and she dreading the approach of that day. In the "30-years-ago" sequence, he is on top of the world but getting fed up with his voluptuous but eccentric wife while she is a delinquent young woman completely lost in the world of drugs and empty existence. The movie however is a lot more complex than outlined above, and has a lot more to offer. Pippa's recollection goes beyond her encounter with Herb, right back to her childhood where the substance abuse of her mother left a profound effect in her life. Surrounding her is a large ensemble of characters. Alan Arkin is just about the best man you can find for the co-lead portraying Herb at two different time slots: declining in his dying days and at his matured prime when first encountering Pippa (Sarkissian at the time). Mario Bello is delightful, going all the way in an animated portrayal of Pippa's junky mother Suky (playing mostly against Blake Lively's credible young Pippa). Another veteran obviously having fun is Julianne Moore, as the lesbian lover of Pippa's aunt who took her in when the teenager ran away from home. Reminding you of his role in "Something's got to give" (2003), Keanu Reeves plays 15-years-younger neighbour who develops a romantic relationship with Pippa that stops tantalizingly short of an affair. Winona Ryder might have had her part customized for her, a neurotic neighbour who does have an affair with Herb, thereby dealing Pippa her poetic justice for snatching Herb from his wife 30 years ago. And about said ex-wife, although it's almost a cameo appearance, you'll love seeing the always irresistibly gorgeous Monica Bellucci. Lesser known but with equally solid performance is Zoe Hazan (small roles in "Fracture", "In the valley of Elah", "Revolutionary Road") as Pippa and Herb's no-nonsense daughter Grace. At the centre is of course Robin Wright, playing Pippa with charm, grace, hysterics, sensuality, vulnerability, and a whole lot more. The movie posts various situations but wisely does not attempt to provide all the answers. To attempt to do so would come across too heavy-handed. Pippa is introduced at the beginning as "an enigma". Although a lot of revelations have been made along the way, when we reach the end, we are still not sure what makes her tick. That's the way it should be, for an entertaining and thought-provoking (in a light way) movie.

• Portrait of a Marriage

  jotix1002010-10-05

  Pippa Lee, the woman at the center of this story, has come a long way to be this person we first encounter in a suburban setting. Having left Manhattan with her much older publisher husband to the safe haven of a Connecticut peaceful living, makes her reflect on her youth and the way her life has turned out to be. Coming from a sort of dysfunctional family herself, Pippa Sarkissian led a stormy home life with her ow mother, Suky, an unbalanced woman that left scars in her daughter that will haunt her life forever. Pippa had a wild life when she left home to be on her own in Manhattan. She hung out with a fast crowd, one which introduced her to Herb Lee, then married, who fell in love with Pippa and threw it all away to be with her. Pippa's past is revealed in the form of flashbacks. After her mother's death she went to live for a while with her lesbian aunt Trish, whose partner, Kat, convinces the young girl to pose for her sado-masochistic photographs with other women. Pippa recollection of the events of her youth come back to mingle with her present stability and somewhat perfect life. Now, many years later, we find her taking care of Herb, who has dad three heart attacks and although not frail, by any means, is a time bomb waiting to explode. Pippa and Herb have two grown children, Grace and Ben, now living on their own. Pippa's neighbor Dot, has a son, Chris, that never amounted to much. His return causes Pippa's friend concern because he is aimless. Pippa strikes a friendship with this kind soul, something that ultimately seems to bring her to a kind of happiness when she leaves searching for some sort of fulfillment. The film is based on Rebecca Miller's own novel, which she adapted for the screen. It is a complex story dealing with a woman facing an uncertain future, while reflecting on her own journey to where we find her. She is, as someone calls her, "an enigma", at best. No one can really imagine what she has been through, and no one can claim to really know her well; not even the husband with whom she has spent many years, her children, or her friends. The betrayal of her husband unravels her, changing her life dramatically. Robin Wright keeps surprising with each new appearance. Her Pippa Lee is an amazing creation. Working with Ms. Miller, the actress does one of her best works in quite a while. Alan Arkin plays Herb Lee, the man that falls in love with the younger Pippa. The most interesting roles are played by women. Blake Lively is seen as the younger Pippa in what appears to be a stretch for this young talent. Lovely Maria Bello appears as Suky, the disturbed mother of Pippa. Keanu Reeves shows up as Chris in an introspective performance from this actor, better known in other genres. Others seen in the film are the great Shirley Knight, Monica Bellucci, Julianne Moore, Robin Weigert, Wynona Ryder, Zoe Kazan, and Mike Binder, among the large cast. Declan Quinn photographed the production in subtle colors. The musical score is by Michael Rohatyn. Rebecca Miller keeps showing she is one of the new voices in the American independent cinema that has a lot going for herself every time she directs.

• The two lives of Pippa Lee

  stensson2010-05-14

  More and more, Hollywood is checking out the state of those born in the 50s. The former hippies, with their libertarian ways of life, and what happened to them after the backlash. Why are they nowadays so strangely conservative? What made them become like that? This is an intelligent version of the theme. Many under-texts show us Pippa Lee as the disastrous teenager and young woman, heading into this relationship with this old man, who pretends to see her, but much more sees himself and his sophisticated needs. Good acting, good thoughts, unforeseeable feelings, but no real answer to the backlash question.