Welcome to the Rileys (2010)

Captivating movie !

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

The story line has been done many times before but James Gandolfini always brings more to the table than most other actors can and this is no exception. It does not take the audience long to realize that Doug Riley (played by James Gandolfini) and his wife Lois Riley (played by Melissa Leo) have been grieving for a few years over the loss of their daughters life.Doug seems to be a lost soul and a shell of the man he once was before his daughter died. Lois is struggling with her depression and coping with pills and hiding in her home 24 hours a day. Doug is on his way to New Orleans for a business convention when he innocently runs in to a teenage stripper/prostitute named Molly/Allison (played by Kristen Stewart).Doug takes it upon himself to stick around New Orleans after the convention comes to a close and see if he can help Molly realize that her way of life can be changed. Doug is not looking for anything in return, only redemption for losing his daughter. Once Doug's wife gets the phone call from Doug that he is staying in New Orleans for awhile she is determined to break her self imposed entrapment and so Lois begins her long journey from her confined home in Indianapolis to New Orleans to meet Doug and the person who appears to be keeping Doug in New Orleans.The three main characters do meet and there is no end of drama with young Molly still trying to make a living as a stripper/prostitute and living in a run down row house owned by a perverted landlord. Eventually Doug and Lois realize that they are at a crossroad with Molly and that they have to let go of their own ideals for Molly and accept the fact that Molly/Allison needs to come to her own life decisions.Doug eventually gets that dreaded phone call from Molly a few weeks later and as I don't like to give away the ending I can say that Doug did have some level of influence on Molly and she thanks Doug for his and Lois's love and support. If there were more men and women like the Rileys, the world would in fact be a much more caring and loving place to live and grow.Gandolfini's screen appearances are limited due to his untimely and premature death in 2013 by a heart attack. He commands the big screen and so this is a picture worth seeing if for nothing other than to see a man in turmoil cope with his grief for his daughter by how he goes about helping others. I rate the film a strong 6 out of 10.

I'm really mad for those who gave me good recommendations about this film. It's bad in many aspects. For instance, it sounds inaccurate to portray a stripper who works also as a hooker; the story should allow spectator to notice that being a stripper doesn't necessarily mean you're also a hooker. Also, Mr. Riley felt unhappy for some reason, and he decides he wants to talk to someone. Where does he go to? To a psychologist, maybe? To a friend's house, who knows? NO! He goes to a strip club! Of course, you need to talk to somebody and you go meet a stripper, because that's what they're paid for! For some odd reason, she tries to hook up with him a few times, and he doesn't accept because... er, I don't really remember. The fact is that Mr. Riley assumed he cheated on his wife with at least two different girls, and when he goes to a strip club, he decides not to? That doesn't sound particularly plausible. And when Mr. Doug calls his wife to tell her he's temporarily moving out... She realizes he's cheating on her, and what does she do? She says "I know I've been... (a bad wife maybe)?", practically forgiving him to be cheating on her, because it was her fault. I mean, come on! Until the point I paid any attention-- I turned it off around the first hour--, we had no clue why Doug was so unfaithful with his wife. The plot was boring, implausible, slow-paced and without any perspective. Directing was just lifeless. I'm only giving it 3 stars in respect of the actors involved in this, since they weren't that bad. Weak movie, no wonder why it flopped!

A well made film with some interesting performances, chiefly coming from James Gandolfini as Douglas Lloyd 'Doug' Riley, Kristen Stewart as Allison alias Mallory and Melissa Leo as Lois Riley. All three did a really good job with a script that I did find a little predictable. Kristen Stewart, probably wanting to do something very different to that other part she's famous for, did a decent job, although some of it did look a little forced. I have always rated her as an actress but with this I felt she didn't make me believe in the character. I thought Melissa Leo did a great job as Lois, I really felt for her when relating the story of how her daughter died. James Gandolfini was excellent as Doug; he was plays this kind of part really well.A quite slow paced film which may put some people off, I did find the opening third quite hard to get through. After that it did pick up and I could see some nice 'Scott family touches' beginning to appear. With a better script I could see this becoming a bit of a hit, however, it did fail to hit the mark (for me), despite the best efforts of cast and crew. A touching drama with some good performances and some nice touches here and there. Not quite enough to earn my recommendation but still maybe worth a look.My Score 6.4/10IMDb Score: 7.0/10 (based on 10,400 votes at the time of going to press).MetaScore: 50/100: (Based on 29 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).Rotten Tomatoes 'Tomatometer' Score: 54/100 (based on 76 reviews counted at the time of going to press).Rotten Tomatoes 'Audience' Score: 59/100 'Liked It' (based on 16,270 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.

There is something about the atmosphere this film creates in its opening ten minutes or so. In these minutes we are treated to skillful acting from Gandolfini, Davis, Stewart and Leo which creates atmosphere, starts us thinking about the characters, and slightly depresses us as to the atmosphere and content of contemporary society. That by the end of the film we are more understanding is an incredible compliment to this film and how it is so intuitively and beautifully made.The script is wonderfully sharp, almost like a laser in places, and the pace is just like reading a poem with a constant meter. The cinematography is eerily in tune with everything else about this film, and the screenplay constantly makes us think and empathise with what we see. The music bubbles along in a hypnotic echo warning us not to run too fast or we will miss things.The acting is of such high quality throughout it would be wrong to pick out anyone for special mention and this is as true of the cameos as it is for everyone else. As films go it is as perfect as you can get. But don't take my word for it, just go and see it and spend time watching that opening sequence over and over again. This is story telling at its best.