Lymelife is the story of a family in Long Island's suburbia during the 1970's. This movie shows us how half truths and the exclusion of detail are in fact lies and even though we don't mean them to hurt they still do. The father (Alec Baldwin) is so enraptured by the suburbia lifestyle that he's completely forgotten that it's not money that makes you happy, but family. The mother who only wants the best for her children doesn't want to raise them in this judgmental place where she can't be herself. The brother, Jimmy, (Kieran Culkin) has a typical relationship with his father where he wants to be the exact opposite of him and does so by joining the army and running away. Rory Culkin does an exquisite job starring as Scott, the main character, who is the only one who is trying to put things into perspective for everyone else whilst going through puberty and fighting his insatiable love for the girl next door who sees him as a little brother. Although all of their problems seem trivial compared to their neighbor who has lyme disease that is like a constant acid trip and is ruining his life. All in all I would highly recommend seeing this movie because as depressing as I've made it sound it is in fact quite lifting and a great piece of cinema.
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cjhagen4419 May 2009
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Going into this film I knew a little about it, so give you a good idea on what it's about, though I'll just say this is a coming of age film set in the late 70's in Long Island. Kieran Culkin stars in this impressive debut film from filmmakers Derek and Steve Martini, he plays Jimmy Bartlett a normal high schooler that fantasizes about the girl next door, gets beat up and has to deal with his parents and all their drama. I really liked this movie I found it to be heartwarming and funny at times but when I say heartwarming I don't mean in a corny way, you really grow to care about these people. The film has really nice direction, that isn't too flashy, think The Ice Storm meets Scorsese. The music is really good and they use an number of great songs from the period, from Boston to Bob Dylan to Elton John and even some old Scorsese-esquire Motown. The reason to see this film isn't for the direction or cinematography both are nice though. The reason to see this film is for the excellent script and perfect acting. Alec Baldwin and Timothy Hutton are great but the real standout performances come from Jill Hennessey who I want to see more of after this, Kieran Culkin, Rory Culkin channeling a young Deniro and Emma Roberts. Emma Roberts is known for doing family movies and TV shows but after this I feel like she's destined to be one best American actresses of her generation if she can just do more movies like this, shes really lovely an charming and I need to see her in more movies like this. This isn't the best film of the year and it might not even make my top ten but I really enjoyed this film, being a huge fan of Scorsese I loved all the little homages to him and being a big fan of The Ice Storm a far more serious film, this film really worked for me and I can definitely see myself buying this on DVD and showing it to friends. I really hope this movie does well enough so that it gets a wider release because I think if people just gave this film a chance they would love it too, don't take my word for it go out and see it. Also I felt an affinity to the main character, a lot of what he went through I went through too at that point in my life. Lymelife isn't your typical coming of age indie dramedy,if you liked The Ice Storm or Scorsese I think you'll like this. Highly recommended.
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tim-764-2918561 October 2012Like many US indie films, there's real sense of the extraordinary coming through from the very ordinary, here, with Lymelife.
Throughout, there was a real sense of odd detachment about it, especially in the scenes with the sufferer of the disease (Lymes) in question, Timothy Hutton, who keeps seeing a deer from his sick bed and then goes off out into the winter landscape to hunt it down, with a rifle....
The film itself was on late on BBC2 and I wish now that I'd been more alert to appreciate it, but what I did, is certainly memorable enough. Like Ang Lee's excellent The Ice Storm (set in the same 1970's) and in commuter belt Long Island, it's a gritty and often unsettlingly difficult to watch relationship drama. The family politics go haywire as father Alec Baldwin has an affair, which is one story and the other, that other reviewers have touched on, is of Rory Culkin finding his sexuality amongst this upset and upheaval.
Apart from the often cringe-inducing 'fashions' and hairstyles, it is probably his touching and nuanced performance as he fumbles with finding his first sexual experience that is the most memorable. Against the backdrop of Baldwin's often self righteous shouting rants, you can't but feel for him and his vulnerability and innocence.
As always, buying yet another DVD to view a film properly is offset against cash, so I might have to wait for it to reappear on TV somewhere before I can be reacquainted. I feel that it has the capabilities of being a very fine film, if offbeat and well worth taking a second look at. Intrigued! -
This is an extremely high caliber movie whose only flaw is improperly dated and unhistorical references to the Falkland War. The performances are superb by each and every cast member and by the ensemble as a whole. It is astonishing that such a film could be made in less than a month and for $ 1 1/2 million dollars. That being said, the quick production time and low budget should not keep anyone from seeing this very important film. It is not just about the 70's but about basic human relationships and characters and truths. The director and cast should all be proud of this fine accomplishment. I urge everyone who loves movies to see this one.
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Prismark1022 November 2014Lymelife is a low budget independent film that has come through the Sundance Lab. Although it was quickly shot with a very low budget you would not think it with its cast that includes Oscar winner, Timothy Hutton.
The film is set in Long Island of the late 1970s although the year is not specified. It focuses on Scott (Rory Culkin) a teenage dork, into Star Wars and gets bullied. He is attracted to Adrianna (Emma Roberts) who is maturing into womanhood and attracting male attention.
His older brother (Kieran Culkin) who has beefed up in the army takes care of the bullies but his arrival brings into open some family strain. Dad (Alec Baldwin) wants to hit the big time with real estate, he is a womaniser while their mom does not share the dream.
Adrianna's dad (Timothy Hutton) is struck down by Lyme's disease and life takes a downward spiral as he realises his wife is cheating and of course he is the one who goes with a shotgun to hunt for deer. Oh dear, this might not end well.
This is a coming of age drama from first time writer/directors. Some of the time setting is a bit shaky, The Falklands Conflict took place in 1982 and there was no danger of the USA being involved. Rory gives a warm performance of teenage angst and confusion ably supported by Emma Roberts and the older actors.
I suppose the ending is slightly signposted but its a good slice of life drama. -
nogodnomasters10 February 2018First off this is NOT the "laugh out loud, violently funny" comedy that is advertised on the front of the box. There are some minor moments of humor and most of that is uncomfortably funny. The film takes place in 1979, with music from an earlier time, and a lame indie style soundtrack. Charley (Timothy Hutton) has Lyme disease. He is not all there, but is not totally out of it. His wife, Melissa (Cynthia Nixon) works for Mickey Bartlett (Alec Baldwin). He is an architect on Long Island and she sells real estate. Scott Bartlett (Rory Culkin) emulates his dad and has a love interest in Adrianna (Emma Roberts) the daughter of Charley and Melissa. Jimmy (Kieran Culkin) is Scott's brother who is home from leave from the army. Jill Hennessy plays Brenda, the unhappy wife of Mickey who wants to go back to the Queens.
The film was excellently acted and was perhaps too uncomfortable for my liking. There are scenes of adultery and fighting as the movie centers around how Scott copes with life in his "coming of age" story. If you are looking for a well acted indie drama about long island and Lyme disease, this is it. If you want a quirky laugh out loud fumy production, look elsewhere.
Excessive f-bombs, minor sex scene, nude magazine centerfold. -
sashabirnbaum2 February 2009Had the pleasure of seeing this at Toronto and Sundance. I'm a festival rat and do not usually comment on movies. But this film struck me in different ways on both viewings. The first time I was consumed in all of the performances, which are spectacular. The second time I was wrapped up in all of the symbolism. The reflection shots, the little fake houses, the spiritual references, the overall tone of the movie that was set by the director and his brother. Is this a perfect movie? It's as perfect a movie as you will find on the premiere festival circuit. And when I found out it was filmed on a tiny budget, I was even more impressed. It turns out to be a funny and moving story that makes you laugh a lot. The director is funny, the actors are all funny and the music is amazing. Every scene that had a song in it was completely amazing. Martin Scorsese is the producer of the film and the director is clearly a big fan. There's violence, emotion and a lot of humor. It's not about the mafia but it has a Sopranos feel to it. I can't put my finger on it, but it's there. To sum it up, it has some very heavy scenes but those scenes are peppered with hilarious moments. So it's never too dark or too heavy. It plays like a film from the 1960's or 70's. Heck of a job. I want to see more from this filmmaker.
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bellino-angelo201422 December 2022LYMELIFE kinda intrigued me for years because of the cast and the subject but was afraid that I would have hated it because it's considered a bit obscure. Yet when I saw it last September I found it ok, nothing more.
When it begins we see Scott Bartlett (Rory Culkin) walking in the woods and risks to be shot by Charlie Bragg (Timothy Hutton) that was about to shoot a deer, and after a while Scott becomes involved with Charlie's daughter Adrianna (Emma Roberts). In the meanwhile there is an outbreak of the lyme disease that scares the town and when Charlie is diagnosed with the disease is unable to work and has to spend days doing nothing while his wife thinks he is at work and becomes more friendly towards Scott. In the meanwhile Mickey Bartlett (Alec Baldwin) will start to have something for Charlie's wife, but he will discover his mistake a bit too late...
I liked the performances. Rory Culkin and Emma Roberts gave very believable performances, and Timothy Hutton was good as the husband who has to avenge his wife's betrayal while dealing with his illness, and in the end he succedds. Alec Baldwin was good as always, even tho I disliked what he did towards Hutton's wife.
If there weren't too much embarassing situations the movie would have earned a higher score but, as it is, it's ok but nothing more. -
yogi-1420 March 2009I can't wait for my next three-Martini film! If Lymelife can be done in less than a month, let's have at least two more before year's endthe last positioned for awards season. Yes, I worry this remarkable film will be unheralded and forgotten in eight months. I can visualize every member of this excellent cast reading the script and beginning to drool. All this tight, little character-driven story needed was a cast that knew whereof it spoke and a director who could give that cast's instincts and improvisational abilities free rein. Obviously, the Martini brothers with a cathartic, autobiographical exercise in familial dysfunction said, "Hey, the Culkins will know where we're coming from!" And do they ever! The scenes between the brothers are heartbreaking in their awareness of fraternal love and filial disillusionment.
The sexual initiation scenes are tender, funny and soooo real. The floundering, faulty adults, right on the nose! This is Timothy Hutton's best work since Ordinary People.
The 1979 setting is subtly established by the scrupulously selected music and the vehicles of the time. The only effort to tie in current events in this post-Viet Nam war-weary era is an almost subliminal reference to the takeover of the American embassy in Tehran. And this is all so right, because the characters and relationships, which is what we're here for, are timeless.
The symbolismright up to the real estate baron bearing the cross of a For Sale signhits just the right note. if you have a chance to see this film, go. -
The main problem with LYMELIFE is that this story was in the heads of the Martini brothers for so many years during development that when it came time to finally shoot the thing, they apparently forgot what they had only visualized umpteen times in their brains, and what they had actually FILMED. How else can they explain a movie that looks like it was produced with the Hays censorship code of 1934 in mind; a movie that alludes to illicit sex, infidelity, brooding anger, impending violence, etc., but seems to always pull back at the last instant like a thoughtless tease, culminating with a rifle shot over a fade to black (who was hit?--the doe, the cuckolding-neighbor, the daughter-popper, or, most likely, a tree?). Jason Reitman covered some of the same ground in his 2007 film JUNO, and the teen sex initiations were believable. David Gordon Green dealt with impending violence in his 2007 movie SNOW ANGELS without pulling any punches (as did Vadim Perelman in the 2007 story THE LIFE BEFORE HER EYES, and countless other directors in the modern era of flicks in a high school setting). Furthermore, Kieran Culkin's character Jimmy Bartlett clearly is supposed to be an American, so how is it that he finishes boot camp in 1979 at the beginning of the Iranian Hostage Crisis with the expectation that he's going to be "called up" any minute and transported through a wormhole to run the radar on a British aircraft carrier in the 1982 Falkland War (which has somehow been transmogrified from Britain vs. Argentina to America vs. Spain in a parallel universe of continental drift, though LYMELIFE is otherwise devoid of the science fiction elements of Richard Kelly's 2001 classic DONNIE DARKO)??!!
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JonathanWalford19 January 2010And I guess it will be me... This is a plodding film of dysfunctional characters that bored me with their dull, pathetic lives. Every part of this film is at fault here, from the endless anachronisms for 1979 (houses with vinyl siding not available until the 1990s, references to the Falkland war in 1982, Princess Diana style puffed sleeved party dresses from 1981...) to the Alec Baldwin Long Islander bad dad character he has pulled out of his hat on several B movie occasions. This film does not have the depth or pathos of American Beauty nor the intelligence or humour of Juno - two films it is commonly held up to. I have no idea why there seems to be a small but enthusiastic following for this film as I only felt relief when it was finally over. I gave it 2, only because there weren't more Caulkins in it.
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I attended the World Premiere of "Lymelife" at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. This touching but occasionally disturbing coming-of-age story was, literally, a labor of brotherly love. Director Derick Martini and his brother Steven not only wrote the screenplay together but they also co-edited it. Adding to those responsibilities, Steven composed the music and was one of the producers.
Based on events in their own lives, the brothers Martini have crafted a story of love and denial, mystery and tragedy.
The film focuses on two families, the Bartletts and the Braggs. The adults here -- Alec Baldwin and Jill Hennessy as Micky and Brenda Bartlett, Timothy Hutton and Cynthia Nixon as Charlie and Melissa Bragg -- are woefully flawed and ill-equipped role models for their children -- Rory and Kieran Culkin as Scott and Jimmy Bartlett, Emma Roberts as Adrianna Bragg. When Scott and Adrianna begin to discover the joys of young love, the road down which they travel is as full of promise as the Long Island Rail Road tracks that carry the ever-present trains past their houses.
"Lymelife" has the classic, bona fide look and feel of a true American indie. The 70s soundtrack is a real crowd pleaser. Long Island's bucolic setting betrays the tension and deception that lies just beneath the surface of these dysfunctional families.
Photography is topnotch, and cinematographer Frank Godwin fills the film with long takes and tracking shots (Gus Van Sant fans will be pleased) which help build tension and allow the audience to stay in tune with the film's ebbs and flows. Many scenes without dialogue are among the most powerful as Martini allows Rory's face and eyes to say more than any script could (think "Mean Creek").
The entire ensemble cast turn in standout performances. Timothy Hutton and Cynthia Nixon are particularly impressive. But, most of all, Rory Culkin carries this film. His relationship with his brother offscreen translates onto the screen so well that it's hard to tell where the acting ends and the Culkins begin. In fact, Martini said he often left the camera rolling and didn't yell "cut," in order to capture their playfulness. If the interaction between the brothers felt authentic, it may be because much of what is seen on screen was improvised. That's why it seemed so real and painful, because it was.
Despite some dark themes, "Lymelife" has quite a bit of humor in it. Imagine a slightly lighter "American Beauty" or "Snow Angels." In fact, Culkin's relationship with Emma Roberts is, along with that of Michael Angarano and Olivia Thirlby in "Snow Angels," one of the the best depictions of first love and awkward sexual encounters I've ever seen.
Ironically, Martini's style is also quite similar to that of David Gordon Green, who directed "Snow Angels." He allows much of the action to come from the actors themselves as opposed to his own direction.
Despite the film's many twists and turns, "Lymelife" is ultimately a story of the wonders of discovery. More than anything, what we discover are the possibilities presented by youth.
The Toronto experience is unlike any other. First, Martini introduced the film. In fact, they delayed the screening as long as they could and he tried to vamp onstage for awhile since Kieran and Rory were held up in traffic. He eventually decided to roll the film, and just as he was about to turn over the mike and walk offstage "his boys" walked in. He didn't want to start it without them. So right from the start there was a bond between the filmmaker, cast, and audience. It was one of the festival's small venues so it was packed.
The exciting Q&A after the screening was truly a family affair with both the brothers Martini and Culkin in attendance. Very few people left as the credits rolled since the film leaves many points open to interpretation. Martini was exceptional. It was one of the best Q&As I've attended (and that numbers in the hundreds). He was upbeat, friendly, and willing to discuss a lot of the "behind the scenes" aspects. Many filmmakers are a bit shy onstage and reluctant to open up. He was not.
I chose "Lymelife" as one of my 5 Top Picks from this year's festival (out of 30 films). It also won the prize of the International Critics (FIPRESCI Prize) for Discovery and is now making the rounds of the festival circuit. Screen Media picked up the film for distribution and it hits theaters on April 8, 2009. -
Playbahnosh13 February 2011...but that does not necessarily mean Lymelife is bad. The movie is about dysfunctional, broken families and relationships, and I (and I bet many others who watched the movie) also come from a dysfunctional, broken family and had many bad relationships. The fact, that this movie was capable of building on that and making me feel even worse is something to celebrate. Most movies doesn't even come close to inciting any emotion whatsoever, but Lymelife did. Sure, it made me feel miserable, but that just goes to show this movie had what it takes to reach it's audience. That's great.
Aside from that, the movie itself is pretty average, with average actors, screenplay and story. For those who doesn't understand it, it could be dull and meaningless. But for those who did live through approximately the same s__t that's in Lymelife, they might just go home with a strange feeling... -
davidtraversa-118 June 2011I frankly don't get it. What kind of taste, intelligence, knowledge of life, has the people that tell us it's a masterpiece?? I stopped seeing it about after 10 minutes run. I couldn't stand the look of those two (brothers?), the stupid script, the aging Baldwin... I'm quite disoriented by all these fabulous eulogies. Do they love anything that comes out of Hollywood automatically??
It doesn't matter that we see all the incongruence about mentioning things that didn't appeared until ten years or more later?? Are people that ignorant about the recent past?? They don't care if the historical period is reported inaccurately?? Every situation is so trivial, we have seen them a trillion times before. What was funny about the dialog?? Uff..., I have so many question that I better stop here because I don't give two hoots about this movie. -
JohnDeSando18 June 2009"You can take the girl outta Queens, am I right?" Mickey Bartlett (Alec Baldwin as Mickey Bartlett)
Dysfunctional families as a theme reached its apotheosis ten years ago in Sam Mendes' American Beauty, a rich blend of realism and fancy involving real estate, coming of age, and infidelity. Just about the same territory is covered in Derick Martini's Lymelife, only this time the metaphors seem forced, the characters less developed, and the denouement less ambiguous.
Lymelife, however, is a quality addition to the deconstruction of the American dream. It's 1979 America, and Mickey Bartlett (Alec Baldwin) has a burgeoning business developing upscale homes on Long Island. His family life is in decline as witnessed by 15 year old central character Jimmy Bartlett (Kieran Culkin), the only one whose prospects with babe next door, Adrianna Bragg (Emma Roberts), get better with each of his endearing humiliations. Mickey is a philanderer (he is played by Baldwin, after all), a spendthrift, and family neglecter, all of which must be addressed by the film's ambitious albeit incomplete plot.
The story moves gently but inexorably to a strong conclusion, where things seem to settle into their appointed fates, more an affirmation that American life between here and American Beauty hasn't changed much with its defeats and victories abundant. While Lymelife (a reference to the disease present in Long Island and a cumbersome metaphor) gains no new insights about our materialism and sexual exploration, it does present a true look at a time when this American life might have been more complicated than it is now. -
This movie is very character driven. Strong cast and good overall plot. It feels like American Beauty told in a more real life, down to earth kind of way. The acting quickly draws you in, and the characters have room to grow in complexity and depth. Nice little film, I cannot believe it was made so quickly. I like how the movie touches upon real issues of troubled marriages with out getting too sidetracked. One thing I that I found annoying is the far-fetched portrayal of the symptoms of Lyme disease. It is as if the character who contracts it, has a green light to change symptoms with each scene. He quickly goes from completely confused to focused and back again. The movie does pull off all the faculties of the human condition it attempts to expose, in a very simplified way. It is as if any holes that exist due to the writing, are for the most part patched up by great acting. I like it when that happens:)
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l_rawjalaurence16 November 2014Described in one publicity tag as "a dark comedy," I am not sure whether Derek Martini's intense little film lives up to that description. Set in Long Island, it focuses on a teenage protagonist Scott (Rory Culkin), who not only learns something about his family, but acquires new knowledge about those closest to him, especially his childhood friend Adrianna (Emma Roberts), whom he has known ever since he was eight years old.
Lyme's Disease is transmitted to human beings through infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headaches and skin rash. In Martini's film the disease functions as a kind of metaphor for the disease affecting everyone around Scott; his father Mickey (Alec Baldwin) conducts a clandestine affair with Adrianna's mother Melissa (Cynthia Nixon), while his mother appears not to notice; his brother Jimmy (Kieran Culkin) has gone off to military service as a means of escaping from his father; while Adrianna appears to be going out with older boys at his high school. In this capitalist-oriented, meritocratic world, where Mickey believes that becoming a millionaire is a sign of 'success,' no one appears particularly interested in anyone around them.
Melissa's husband Charlie (Timothy Hutton) actually suffers from the disease, but nonetheless lives a life as false as anyone else's. While pretending to go to the city each day to find a job, he actually incarcerates himself away in the bowels of his home doing drawings.
Set in the late Seventies, LYMELIFE offers an interesting critique of American lifestyles at that time; the obsession with money, masculinity and self-assertion that creates an alienated world. There are some highly suggestive groupings: Scott and Adrianna are shown standing on either side of a railway line; they cannot seem to cross the line to meet together, but instead wait for a train to come past, remarking as they do so that it's always possible to hear a train anywhere in Long Island. At the end of the film, they are shown sitting together in a school bus; they do not speak for a long time, until Adrianna relents and takes Scott's hand. At least the youngsters are making tentative steps to create a less alienating world.
Sometimes the film makes use of rather obvious symbolism to prove its point: a family row is accompanied by the sound of Sinatra singing a love-song on the soundtrack; while there are several point of view shots of Charlie looking out through a barred upper window at an (imaginary) deer grazing immediately in front of his house. Yet the action as a whole is redeemed by two strong central characterizations: Rory Culkin is especially good as the teenager pretending to be a strongman as he stands in front of the mirror, while Roberts proves herself to be a fundamentally generous soul in a sequence immediately following Scott's confirmation ceremony, when she swallows her pride and agrees to be his friend once more. -
I've had time to really think about this one. I rambled my review on the other comment board right after seeing it at a special volunteer screening, but now that I've had time to reflect I feel this deserves a proper review. I am not a critic but I definitely have a strong opinion about film. I am film lover. And Lymelife is a rarity. I say that because I was able to get some insight into the film from the filmmakers who hosted the volunteer screening. I was stunned to learn that it was shot in 22 days on a tiny budget and not in digital. It is an American Spectrum film. Why? I have no idea. It is by far one of the most prestigious, smartest and well crafted films in the festival. All of the volunteers have been fighting to work the Lymelife screenings for good reason. It rocks! The story seems to be a simple coming of age story at first. But there's a strange uneasiness throughout the first twenty minutes or so where you're already guessing where this story is headed. And the amazing thing is that it takes you exactly where you need to go but leaves you wanting more at the end. And it leaves you questioning your own childhood and how you become who you are as a person. I'm in my twenties and have never asked myself the questions I'm asking myself after seeing this movie. And the other aspect is the humor. You'd expect this to be a straight drama, and I guess that's what most filmmakers would do. But not here. There is some very dark humor combined with some very light humor too. It's almost as if there's an intentional moment or two in every heavy scene that makes you laugh. Sometimes it's because you're uncomfortable, sometimes it's because it's just funny. The story follows Rory Culkin through the pains of being a kid with a screwed up family. He is simply sublime and gives a breakthrough performance as Scott Bartlett. Kieran Culkin plays and really is his older brother Jimmy. I am a big fan of his but haven't seen him for a while. His return to the screen in nothing short of dynamic, hysterical and heartbreaking. Alec Baldwin plays their dad Mickey. This performance is truly remarkable because of the way he plays such a jerk but continues to win you over. It's like being on a see saw. This is his best on screen work since The Cooler. And this film is much better than The Cooler. Emma Roberts plays Rory Culkin's best friend who he is in love with but is so afraid to make a move he talks to her when he's alone in his mirror and masturbates to her regularly. She has a breakthrough role here too. I've never seen her deliver this kind of performance and had no idea she could do it. She reminds me of Natalie Portman when she was in her earlier films. Timothy Hutton plays her father who is stricken with lyme disease. Hutton is just too good. It's almost unfair to put any other actors in the scenes with him because your eye is pulled to him. There is a scene that is one of the most insane, funny and uncomfortable scenes I have ever seen on film that takes place between him and Baldwin. It happens in a bar and all I can say is wow, I need to watch it again because the audience was cheering and laughing over a lot of the lines. Playing house mom is Jill Hennesey from Crossing Jordan. She is married to Baldwin and can actually act. I couldn't stand her show but obviously that was no fault of hers. She is spectacular. As is Cynthia Nixon who is married to Timothy Hutton. She is a woman on the verge of I don't know what, but it isn't good. And every time she appears on screen she seems to be creeping toward some inevitable breakdown. And the way the director composed the ending or the climax is unforgettable. All you know is that a tragedy is inevitable, but you don't know who, until the final moment of the film, will suffer most. And it's truly anyone's guess as to who will suffer most from this outcome. And what makes this different than other films of this caliber, American Beauty, Ice Storm is that the ending here is deliberately left open to interpretation. The filmmaker was asked about this in the "q and a" and he was very clear that his intention was not to tie everything up in "a neat bow". And that is the strongest thing about the movie. It lets you come up with your own conclusions about love, life and happiness. This is an award worthy film in every aspect. This is my first time writing an actual "review" so I hope I didn't give too much away but it is a must see.
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paul2001sw-112 October 2013Derick Martini's film 'Lymelife' is a fairly conventional, low key tale of growing up in a dysfunctional, suburban family on Long Island. It features a very typical performance from Alex Baldwin, a painfully convincing teenage sex scene and a surprising ending that shies away from sentimentality but which left in two minds: in some ways, the mood of the whole film sits awkwardly between heartwarming and unbearable awfulness, and perhaps there was no single conclusion that might have made it all seem right. Indeed, the better stuff in this movie comes when the subject is less black, more ordinary; elsewhere, it can be hard to watch.
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melissagordon782 February 2009Lymelife - while watching this film I kept hearing the song from Grease, good bye Sandra Dee when it came to Emma Roberts. I have no idea how she wound up in this film but it is the best thing she could have chosen. Emma plays a role that she would never dare do in a Disney film. It is as convincing as it is riveting. In this film she shows a side of herself that the public has never seen. She is funny, sad, smart and finding her sexuality all on screen. There must have been a fairy with magic dust on the set because she is obviously becoming one of the best actresses of her generation. There is a very brave scene toward the end that she shines in. She loses her virginity and it is painful, awkward, funny and beautiful. As a fan, I can't say enough about her. However, there are so many great performances in this film that there is never a dull moment. Rory Culkin and his obsessive longing for her feels so real. I wish I had a cute guy like that longing after me when I was Emma's age. And Kieran Culkin who is the love of my life is outstanding. He is tough but weak. I know that doesn't make sense but you have to see it to understand. Alec Baldwin is hilarious and really, really, sad. His performance may be the best thing about this film. Baldwin is in a bar with Timothy Hutton where they have a scene that is so freaking awkward and funny that it's hard to explain in words. Baldwin takes all of Hutton's verbal jabs with a stoic awkwardness I have never seen on film. It is truly amazing to watch. The ending disturbed me. It was torturous. I can't think of another word to describe it. Pure torture. Oh god! What a movie.
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SnoopyStyle16 December 2014It's the late 70's Long Island. Lyme disease is a new discovery. Scott Bartlett (Rory Culkin) lives with his father Mickey (Alec Baldwin) and Brenda (Jill Hennessy). He longs for his best friend Adrianna Bragg (Emma Roberts). She lives with her parents Charlie (Timothy Hutton) and Melissa (Cynthia Nixon). Jobless Charlie suffers from Lyme disease and is hiding in the basement. Melissa and Mickey are struggling to sell his real estate project called Bartlettown. Scott is picked on by the school bully. Scott's volatile older brother Jimmy (Kieran Culkin) comes home from the Army and beats up the bully for him.
It's a well-acted indie of familiar suburban family dysfunction. The Culkin brothers are terrific. Emma Roberts is compelling. The adults in the movie don't take a backseat to the kids. There isn't anything completely new but it is done confidently. This movie needs some explosiveness to get to the next level. -
JamesHitchcock30 August 2011I can only presume that the title "Lymelife" is a contrived pun on the word "limelight" and on the fact that an outbreak of Lyme disease plays a part in the plot. The film is a "coming-of-age" drama set on the Long Island of 1979. (It is sometimes described as a "comedy", although there was little about it which struck me as comic). The main character is fifteen-year-old Scott Bartlett, and the film charts the tangled web of relationships between the Bartletts and their neighbours the Braggs. Essentially, Scott's mother Brenda is having an affair with next-door-neighbour Charlie Bragg, while his father Mickey is having an affair with Charlie's wife Melissa. Meanwhile, Scott is dating the Braggs' daughter Adrianna. There should really be something in Leviticus to cover this situation. ("Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of the woman whose father has uncovered thy mother's nakedness and whose mother has uncovered thy father's nakedness ").
Youth can be a time of joy, excitement and enthusiasm, but the film-makers, the brothers Derick and Steven Martini, like many makers of similar dramas, seem less interested in these aspects of life than in hormonally-driven teenage angst. The film is said to be autobiographical, but as the Martinis would only have been four and one years old in 1979 they presumably projected their own teenage experiences backward in time from the early nineties to the late seventies. Part of the problem lies with Rory Culkin, younger brother of Macaulay, as Scott, who seems to be perpetually shrouded in gloom and misery. (Another Culkin brother, Kieran, also appears as Scott's older brother Jimmy). It doesn't help that Culkin was actually twenty when the film was made, five years older than the character he portrays. The best of the adults is probably Alec Baldwin as Mickey, but even he cannot arouse much interest.
Independently produced "coming-of-age" dramas are not all bad- indeed, there have been some excellent examples. For every "Ordinary People" or "Gregory's Girl", however, there are several dreary sagas, and it is into this latter category that "Lymelife" falls. (Timothy Hutton, the star of "Ordinary People", appears here as Charlie). The film seems to have been made primarily for connoisseurs of suburban misery. 4/10 -
JackieBerger12 March 2009I want to start by admitting that I have NEVER felt compelled to write a comment on these boards... Usually, I read things and find that people have pretty much covered whatever I would say, but in this case, I could not hold back.
Recently I was invited to a private showing for the press in Los Angeles (I'm not in the press, so I hope it's okay I write this). It was a full theater and I was nervous because I didn't want to take an important persons seat! Anyway we were handed a list of Production Notes which included a lot of information on the shooting of the film, as well as biography's on the actors, director, writers and producers. I had no idea MARTIN SCORSESE was and Executive Producer on this film!!!
Now to the movie... It was so well done. The performances were truly some of the best I have ever seen (and I'm a BIG movie buff). The Director, Derick Martini, co-wrote the script with his brother Steven a long time ago. Apparently, they were able to get it accepted into the Sundance Lab and from there - they work-shopped scenes with different actors (although Kieran Culkin played Rory's role in the lab), and had special advisor's to help them shoot, edit and screen the test scenes... Let's just say - whatever that process was - it worked!...
I will not give a full blow-by-blow of the film, but here are some of my favorite scenes (although in my mind, this movie is already a classic)... There is a wonderful scene when Emma Roberts and Rory Culkin are smoking a joint and she's totally messing with his head (it's the first time smoking for him). Anyway, they are obviously talking about The Catcher In The Rye, but Rory is having a hard time remembering things - it's the funniest and most realistic "getting high" scene I have ever watched. Another great and memorable scene is a full blowout screaming argument between Alec and Jill Hennessy (who are married in the film). If this doesn't bring tears to your eyes - you are not human... Rory is upstairs crying as he hears his parents argue and WOW - very, very emotional (a woman next to me was totally crying! I felt bad for her - must have hit too close to home...). And by the way - this is what makes this film so brilliant - Right on the heels of that emotional fight scene is what will most likely go down as the best scene in the film... The Spyphilis Scene, between Alec Baldwin and Timothy Hutton... Talk about two heavyweight actors going toe-to-toe in a scene, it could not have been acted or directed any better... The whole screening room erupted with laughter, and that's what I mean about the Direction of the film, Martini constantly has us on a roller-coaster of emotions, tracking the main characters with precision and allowing the audience to connect to each one. Every time you get down, he lifts you back up... One of the people on the way out said "there is no way that was his first time directing" - I looked it up - and it was! Then there was the love scene between Rory and Emma - HELLO, I COULD Totally RELATE TO THIS! - it felt like the Martini's were in my shoes when I first had sex (better that they weren't)... It was so amazingly and tastefully done - not gratuitous at all and all I can say is Millennium Falcon! Everyone laughed so hard...
So, thats my story and by far, it's the best film I have seen in years! There is no doubt that all of the actors will shine from this movie. Baldwin is always brilliant, but I have never seen him so vulnerable. Emma Roberts is a quality actress and will be a huge movie star, Rory Culkin and Kieran Culkin are fantastic as brothers and Rory blew me away with his performance. Cynthia Nixon was very good, as I have never seen her play a role like this. Timothy Hutton was awesome - and reminds us in this movie of what a great actor he is. I would say the big surprise was Jill Hennessy - she was amazing!!! Forget Crossing Jordan - that was child's play for her - she has depth, warmth and toughness - and she brings it! Derick Martini did an incredible job, the performances and direction are Academy Award worthy for sure, in fact, this will be a contender for the next awards season - take it from me - a movie freak that actually follows every awards program (okay, I need to get a life, but so what)...
I hope everyone enjoys the film as much as I did... I know that I will go opening day (can't wait), and come back to see what everyone thinks.
Thanks,
JSB -
Siamois12 February 2010Derick Martini's direction here is adequate and the actors pour their hearts in some of the roles but the story the Martini brothers came up with fails to compel. As a result, this is just yet another bland indie entry mixing social criticism and coming of age stories.
The story is down to earth but lacks visceral qualities and is rather forgettable. Character development is nowhere to be seen. It's even worse as far as the story is concerned. This one brings nothing new despite being well-made.
One would be better off picking an old classic such as The Ice Storm in this case. -
I'm still laughing at that line. In this film our anxiety ridden, introverted lead character played by Rory Culkin chooses to lie to his friends about his life long crush played by Emma Roberts. He tells them that he "fingered" her and it was "wet, like the inside of a jelly donut". It is precisely these moments in the movie Lymelife that add up to something fully engaging and startlingly funny. Something much larger than a simple story of suburban angst, families falling apart and children coming of age during the late 70's. I've read all of the Ice Storm comparisons, but I found it to be so much more interesting and realistic. And quite frankly, not only better, but very different. Ang Lee's famous film dealt with much different subject matter. The only similarity is infidelity. So what? In Lymelife it is so much more true to life. Men cheat on their wives because they're not getting what they need from them. So they are vulnerable and seek out someone else. Same goes for women. In Ice Storm it's a bunch of bored wealthy people trying to spice up their sex life. And it, of course, ends tragically. Lymelife hits you in the gut, where it hurts most, and it cleverly avoids a tragic ending and somehow makes you feel hopeful, even though there is an impending doom hanging in the air. From Culkin working himself up in his mirror, playing Han Solo, his idol, to Alec Baldwin's breakdown as a father who has helped screw up his whole family because he is blinded by keeping up with the Jonses, this film hits all the right notes, and does so with a confidence and gusto worthy of serious consideration for the Oscars. Films like this come along every so often, sometimes they're snubbed and sometimes they get their due. I really hope this one gets its due. The crowd I saw it with laughed, cried, shrieked with tension and ultimately left the theater feverishly discussing the ending of the film. Most seemed to draw their own conclusions, which seems to be the point, but I saw it as a very sophisticated reminder of what these characters have been through, how they've changed, and where they stand at the end of the story. I didn't need any more. It's a very well told tale and will definitely land on many critic's top ten lists. One more thing...there's a virginal love scene that is so carefully constructed it forces you to think about your own first time. It's hilarious, painfully awkward and most importantly it is very real.