[img]7|left|||no_popup[/img]Like the tonally similar Easy Virtue, My One And Only is a layered film that puts a comic veneer on some form of pathology. The difference is that where Easy Virtue’s wit is droll and mordant, My One And Only is more caustic and poignant, a shift that comes from focusing on the dysfunction of a broken family rather than Noel Coward’s barbed observations of class hypocrisy. Ostensibly inspired by anecdotes of George Hamilton’s early life — as related by Hamilton to Merv Griffin — My One And Only owes much to The Catcher in the Rye that so fascinates young George (Lerman). But for all that J.D. Salinger may loom over the film, this is essentially a comical road movie that begins with Ann Devereaux discovering her husband in flagrante delicto and setting off cross-country with her two boys to find another caretaking man.
Renee Zellwegger has made a career out of characters like Ann; ditzy but cunning, accustomed to the finer things in life, and thoroughly convinced that all it takes it to make it in the world is a charming smile, good looks and a pretty dress. But Zellwegger also knows how to tweak performances just enough so we get more than what we see. Ann Devereaux is no mere effervescent socialite; there’s substance as Zellwegger internalizes Ann’s realization, and reluctant acceptance, of life’s harsh realities outside the gilded cage of a well-off bandleader’s wife. It takes George, of course, to see through Ann’s self-deception despite being short-sighted by delusions of his own. Just as Ann comes to grow up, so does George as teenaged suspicion of adult motives and sincerity take on a greater complexity. Logan Lerman’s George has a bit of Charlie Bartlett and Holden Caulfield about him, filtered through F. Scott Fitzgerald, but also a vulnerable side Lerman is adept at keeping bottled until, inevitably, it must come out.
A Smooth Ride Back to the ‘50s
One of the film’s best scenes involve Lerman and Kevin Bacon, whose gruff voice and simultaneously suave yet slightly pathetic demeanour is defined by well-tuned, wary resignation. It’s a scene where bubbles burst, and George’s relationship with his mother, as previously contrasted by his relationship with his father, gets re-evaluated. But it’s not the only strong kind of character drama. As Ann flits from ex-beaux to ex-beaux, each encounter takes on the quality of a short character study – and obviously, there’s a reason why these men, like military man Harlan (Noth), are deserving of the “ex” prefix.
Wrapping it all up is a jazzy toe-tapping score along with director Richard Loncraine’s beautiful recreation of the ‘50s and impeccable pacing. Where road movies tend to suffer from the stops-and-starts of episodic storytelling as characters move from location to location, My One And Only is a smooth narrative ride from New York to Los Angeles that’s as easy on the eyes as the blue ’53 Cadillac Eldorado that carries Ann and sons. With all the twists and turns, pleasantly surprising conclusions and, despite the relentless pile-up of emotional defeats, a well-deserved upbeat outlook, it would be easy to fall into a melodramatic mess. My One And Only, however, retains a sincerity that might have shocked Caulfield.
Entertainment: ** (out of two)
Craft: ** (out of two)
My One And Only. Directed by Richard Loncraine. Written by Charlie Peters. Starring Renee Zellweger, Logan Lerman, Mark Rendall, Kevin Bacon, David Koechner, Chris Noth and Eric McCormack. 107 minutes. Rated PG-13 (mild sexual situations).
Frédérik invites you to discuss My One And Only at his blog.