Labor Day
Dir: Jason Reitman
2014
***
I like Jason Reitman a lot. His comedies are uniquely quirky and you can tell they are his, which is quite a mark of success considering he's only directed four films previously. This is his first drama/romance and much like his comedies it has his signature 'quirk' all over it. The drama side of the film was great, I would even go as far as saying it is a mild thriller and I certainly found it compelling and exciting in the first half, but then it settles down somewhat in the second half into a, I'm afraid to say, unconvincing love story. Unconvincing yes but not unlikable, more fantastical. Fantastical is good though and I think it worked well for the most part. The dreamy ending is sickly-sweet but actually quite rewarding, the performances are good and overall it is strangely likable even though I'm not sure it really should have worked.