The Safety of Objects

The film feels like a mix of Happiness, American Beauty, The Ice Storm, and Short Cuts, but it isn't as good as any of them. There is of course a sense of black comedy (at least in the first half) which works quite nicely, but the drama bits never pay off. There is at least one family too many to spend time with (the Christiansons don't really have anything to do with the other stories), and the script is at times too vague for its own good. Moreover, the ending doesn't really ties things together as it should.

Of the actors, I liked Mulroney's inept family man the best, but Glenn Close, and Patricia Clarkson were also good. All in all, the film spread itself too thin and there was a sense of aloofness, and lack of focus that dragged it down. I think it would have worked better if they had emphazised the comedy bits more and trimmed it down a bit as well.