About Us
Connect
Tully
Rating: B+
Areas
Copyright © Houston Film Fanatics All Rights Reserved
Charlize Theron is back on the big screen this time bringing us her latest film Tully. Tully takes us into the life of Marlo, an overworked mother of three who is struggling to keep her head above water while taking care of a newborn, her special needs son, and their oldest daughter. Her Husband Drew (Ron Livingston) is no help at all with her struggles since he works all the time and even when he is home he seems somewhat checked out. As we watch Marlo's grip on things start to crumble her brother offers her some reprieve in the form of paying for the services of a night nurse so that the very much sleep deprived Marlo can get back on her feet. After a week or so of completely dismissing the idea, exhausting finally wins out and Marlo agrees to try the night nurse. Enter Tully and a young woman played by Mackenzie Davis (You may recognize her from the San Junipero episode of Black Mirror) who is polite, efficient, carefree, and just what Marlo needs. With the help of Tully Marlo begins to learn a lot more about not only what type of mom and wife she hopes to be, but also about what type of life she dreams of for herself and her family.
Okay, it should go without saying that Charlize Theron is fantastic in this movie. She is great in pretty much everything she does. She gained 50 pounds for this role and really threw herself into this part. Any overworked and overwhelmed mom should be able to relate more than a little bit to some of the struggles Marlo endures on a daily basis. Motherhood is no joke people. Go hug your mother right now if you can and let her know she is amazing because if there is one thing you should take away from this film is that motherhood is no joke. It is a 24/7 job that is really hard. Most of us can't even keep plants alive, let alone another small person. Charlize brings that front and center with this role and she is really good at it. Mackenzie Davis as Tully is also very likable in the film. I found myself wondering why Hollywood hasn't had her in more major roles sooner. Yes, we have seen her inBlade Runner 2049 and a little bit in The Martian, but we really get to see her charm in Tully. She is the girl you want to know and hang out with and everything about her just seems cool and collected. She is clearly, just what Marlo needs in more way than one.
The film as a whole is definitely not what you will expect it to be. I promise. The hard part about this is wanting to really talk about it, but not wanting to spoil anything, because this is a film that you probably will not see coming when things finally take a turn. There are parts that will have you going "WTF is happening...." and other parts that will leave you with your jaw on the floor, but it is definitely something interesting. When I walked out of the theater I wasn't entirely sure what to make of what I just saw, but the more I think about it, the more I liked the film. It surprised me and I really enjoyed that. The movie may start off a bit slow but definitely picks up when Tully entered the picture and though the film is far from perfect, it is still an interesting watch and is not your typical mommy comedy/drama.
Overall I gave this movie a B+. It will leave you surprised at the end and that right there was enough to make me like the film. Anything that has me talking about it the next day is worth it. So if you are looking for something a little left of center this weekend, check out Tully and plunge headfirst into the incredibly intense job that is motherhood.
Tully opens in theaters everywhere May 4th.