Tully Review

     Whenever you talk Jason Reitman, the word quirky comes to mind. His unique style always makes his films stand out. Movies like Up in the Air don’t necessarily have the most original premise, but Reitman’s approach to his material is what makes it feel fresh. You know one of his films when you see it, and although I haven’t always resonated with his work, it’s starting to grow on me. Whether you’re talking Juno, Young Adult, or Up in the Air his projects brutally portray the monotony of adulthood while also making poignant, overarching statements about our lives.

     Tully is no different. If you’re on the fence about having kids, don’t see this film! It’s completely unrelenting, showing every possible pitfall of parenthood. Charlize Theron dodges everything from dealing with her troubled ADHD son, to tackling exhaustion, to fighting against a constant onslaught of dirty diapers and vomit. Even after all that, her hard work doesn’t seem to truly be appreciated by any members of her family, and she doesn’t seem to feel any sense of fulfillment from her efforts.

     Reitman’s outlook on motherhood is extremely candid. By no means does he shy away from the less glamorous side to being parents. If you’ve seen a lot of his other work, you know exactly what to expect. While it’s refreshing to see such an honest portrayal of something that so many people experience and can relate to, it’s also a bit tiring. After a while it becomes almost hard to watch.

     Then, as soon as you’ve just about had enough, Tully (a night time nanny) enters the picture. Suddenly, Theron’s life takes a complete 180 and she’s finally able to find time to sleep, eat, and even cook dinner. The nanny’s introduction adds a much needed sense of energy to the story. For a majority of the time, it continues to grab your attention.

     However, deep into the third act, I started to question the point of Tully. It’s only goal seemed to be showing the absolute worst parts of motherhood. When a director like Reitman is behind the camera, it’s reasonable to expect a bit more than that. Luckily, the final 15 minutes, completely change the meaning of the film entirely. It morphs into a true showcase of the realities of postmortem depression and through all the conflict, succeeds in pointing out the virtues of adulthood and family life. All the most memorable moments of Tully start to hold a lot more weight.

     Reitman turns an ordinary story into an extremely clever take on the natural progression of life. Although Tully definitely caters towards a specific demographic, it’s an interesting experiment that mostly pays off and deserves a chance.