A trailer for Rebecca Miller’s “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” has surfaced online.
We saw this one at TIFF last week and while it’s getting rave reviews in some circles and we’re generally fans of Miller’s work, like “The Ballad Of Jack & Rose,” it’s uneven and imperfect. However, it does still leave an impact (there are a few killer scenes too), that’s mostly due to the performances. Lead actress Robin Wright Penn is generating Oscar talk from her subtle performance, and she was strong, but we weren’t necessarily blown away by her character having a nervous breakdown in the suburbs as she revisits her murky and forgotten past.
The real stand-out for us? Blake Lively from “Gossip Girl” if you can believe it. Not that we watch that show so we can judge, but we were surprised just how good she was (Miller herself said she didn’t even know she was a big TV star when she cast her, she just thought she was great). Anyhow, less blathering, the synopsis and trailer should tell you all you need to know. The trailer isn’t perfect, but then again, neither is the film, but there’s something about scrappy, penetrating imperfections that resonate.
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 two grown children, and a trusted friend and confidant to all who cross her path. But as Pippa dutifully follows her husband to a new life in a staid Connecticut retirement community, her idyllic world and the persona she has built over the course of her marriage will be put to the ultimate test. In truth, looks are deceiving, and this picture-perfect woman has seen more than her fair share of turmoil in her youth. Embarking on a bittersweet journey of self-discovery, accompanied by a new, strange and soulful acquaintance (KEANU REEVES), Pippa must now confront both her volatile past and the hidden resentment of her seemingly perfect life in order to find her true sense of self. By turns wry, humorous, and moving, THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE presents the complex portrait of the many lives behind a single name.
There’s a good supporting cast to this one too including the aforementioned Blake Lively, Maria Bello, Julianne Moore, Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Zoe Kazan, Monica Belluci and Alan Arkin. “The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee” hits theaters on November 27 via ScreenMedia Films.