When I saw The Meddler last year I was convinced it would actually nab an Oscar nom for Sarandon, but it never got released! Here`s hoping she has some kind of shot this year. An excerpt I wrote for AwardsDaily about the film:
"The Meddler is Susan Sarandon’s best performance in 20+ years. You heard me right. Sarandon’s performance as a middle aged, eccentric, neurotic, Jersey mom that moves to L.A. is hilariously spot on. The premiere had many industry people eating up every line delivered by Sarandon. When was the last time you can truly say she’s had a role that fit her immeasurable talents? 1995’s Dead Man Walking — in which she was directed by then husband Tim Robbins — comes to mind. That was 20 years ago, but this performance is bound to get some heads turning if handled properly and Sony Pictures Classics knows what kind of brilliant performance they have here. The character study that director Lorne Scafaria deftly handles with comical hand-held shots is an all out showcase for Sarandon. The film has just been screened today for the press and is expected to have a 2016 release, that is unless the studio decides to gives Sarandon the much-needed awards push this year."
The reviews have been fairly solid and the buzz has been cautious, respectful, but amicably acclaimed. Kris Tapley, a well-regarded Oscar Pundit at Variety, just gave Sarandon a boost by saying she was the Best Actress of the first half of 2016. I can agree with that actually.
"Sarandon delivers one of her greatest performances yet as the title character in Lorene Scarfaria’s sweet dramedy about a well-intentioned mother who moves to Los Angeles to be closer to her daughter (Rose Byrne) after the death of her husband. Whether playing the effects of scarfing down a bag of weed or being romanced by the wonderful J.K. Simmons, Sarandon is sublime. But more than that, the performance is one of the most accurate portrayals of grief seen on film in recent years."
"The Meddler is Susan Sarandon’s best performance in 20+ years. You heard me right. Sarandon’s performance as a middle aged, eccentric, neurotic, Jersey mom that moves to L.A. is hilariously spot on. The premiere had many industry people eating up every line delivered by Sarandon. When was the last time you can truly say she’s had a role that fit her immeasurable talents? 1995’s Dead Man Walking — in which she was directed by then husband Tim Robbins — comes to mind. That was 20 years ago, but this performance is bound to get some heads turning if handled properly and Sony Pictures Classics knows what kind of brilliant performance they have here. The character study that director Lorne Scafaria deftly handles with comical hand-held shots is an all out showcase for Sarandon. The film has just been screened today for the press and is expected to have a 2016 release, that is unless the studio decides to gives Sarandon the much-needed awards push this year."
The reviews have been fairly solid and the buzz has been cautious, respectful, but amicably acclaimed. Kris Tapley, a well-regarded Oscar Pundit at Variety, just gave Sarandon a boost by saying she was the Best Actress of the first half of 2016. I can agree with that actually.
"Sarandon delivers one of her greatest performances yet as the title character in Lorene Scarfaria’s sweet dramedy about a well-intentioned mother who moves to Los Angeles to be closer to her daughter (Rose Byrne) after the death of her husband. Whether playing the effects of scarfing down a bag of weed or being romanced by the wonderful J.K. Simmons, Sarandon is sublime. But more than that, the performance is one of the most accurate portrayals of grief seen on film in recent years."
May 12, 2016
The beauty of The Meddler is in its insistence that grief passes - even if you can't buy your way to happiness.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/4
April 29, 2016
What seems cringe-worthy at first in The Meddler winds up as a warm, forgiving embrace -- of the movie's characters and audience, as well.
Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4
April 29, 2016
Taken as a whole, Sarandon's performance is something to behold.
Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4
April 28, 2016
We've seen these types of characters before, but not played by these particular and highly skilled actresses.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/4
April 22, 2016
April 22, 2016
Susan Sarandon is a star shining on her highest beams in a movie that the gifted writer-director Lorene Scafaria turns into something far less clichéd and more nuanced than the anatomy of a bossypants. -
Full Review | Original Score: 3/4
With the review embargo now lifted, the reviews are pretty good, or at least much better than a David Ayer movie has any right to be. The film currently sits at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 70 on Metacritic.