Diablo Cody is one of my favorite screenwriters. I will watch anything she does. Kind of a bummer that apparently not a lot of people felt the same way since the auditorium was pretty bare. Then again, this movie might not quite be for everyone.
Tully is a very real look at motherhood, following Charlize Theron as Marlo, an overworked mom who just gave birth to #3. She’s experiencing post-partum depression coupled with extreme exhaustion–subjects that aren’t often covered properly on film. At her wits end, Marlo hires night nanny Tully to help alleviate her workload. But Tully might be able to do more than just provide late night childcare.
If you’re a Cody fan, think of this more along the lines of Young Adult than Juno. Her phenomenal wit is on fully display, but only in small glimpses. This is not exactly a comedy. It’s much heavier than the trailer suggests. One of her triumphs with Young Adult was making you care about an unlikeable character. We have a similar feat as she makes you are about an extremely depressed individual that doesn’t even care about herself. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s a story that we need told.
Theron, of course, is amazing. Again, if you loved her Young Adult performance, you’ll love her here. She’s so nuanced and layered and makes Marlo feel like every mother out there, even if she can’t speak for them all.
It’s certainly a movie that made me think about things, moreso than being entertaining. While I don’t directly relate to it, I’m sure there are a lot of women out there who do, and this story is for them.
Tully – \m/ \m/ \m/