| CASA DE LOS BABYS |
 2003 - USADirector: John Sayles - Reviewed by Vickie
Maggie is, however, just one actress in a fiercely talented ensemble of women playing hopeful mothers-to-be seeking to finalize adoptions in an unspecified Latin American country. Alongside Maggie's Jennifer, an anxious young bride, are: Gayle (Mary Steenburgen), a born-again Christian; Leslie (Lili Taylor), a gruff New Yorker who may or may not be gay; Nan (Marcia Gay Harden), a perpetually annoyed pain in the butt; Eileen (Susan Lynch), a soft-spoken Irish woman; and Skipper (Daryl Hannah), a new age-y woman seemingly obsessed with her body. Each woman's backstory is revealed slowly, as are her reasons for seeking out-of-country adoptions. They're all staying at the same hotel, nicknamed "The Casa de los Babys" because of its reputation for housing Americans looking to adopt, and have all been there a long while as they wait for the knots of red tape to clear. Writer-director John Sayles, who's more than adept at creating full-bodied female characters, allows information out to the audience in dainty trickles, forcing us to constantly reevaluate our judgments of the women in the film as we learn more about them. Why is Skipper so focussed on keeping herself in perfect shape and ideal health? Why does Nan pilfer tiny bottles of hotel shampoo? What does Jennifer hope a baby will do for her marriage? The audience finds out gradually and naturally, as we would if we were there with the women in the film. And what a group of women they are. Each character is strong and unique, and each actresses rises to the challenge put forth by the script. Rita Moreno, who co-stars as the hotel's proprietor, explained that anyone with a speaking part was given a detailed character biography by Sayles, so it's no surprise that each one feels real. Daryl Hannah and Maggie Gyllenhaal would be my picks for standouts, though, only because they share a beautifully nuanced scene that could have, in lesser hands, wound up as trite exposition. Plus, Hannah's performance is so unexpectedly delicate that it was most impressive and, you know, I just think Maggie rocks, in general. Sue me. Casa is, however, not a typical point-A to point-B film. It begins and ends in the middle, which is to say that we're looking in on lives in progress. The action is already underway when the films opens, and it remains in motion as the closing credits roll. So if you're looking for resolution and an experience devoid of loose ends, you might be disappointed. But if you're looking for a solid character drama from one of the best, I guarantee you'll leave satisfied. |
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I'm going to try to put aside my disappointment that Maggie Gyllenhaal
was the only cast member of this film who was absent for its Toronto
Film Festival premiere. I'm going to look past the fact that she
should have been there, if not for her castmates and director
John Sayles, then at the very least for meeee. ;-)
