Description: Academy Award winners Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro star in director Susanne Bier’s (the Oscar-nominated 'After the Wedding') powerful new drama 'Things We Lost in the Fire' Audrey Burke (Berry) is reeling from the shock of the news that has just been delivered to her door by the local police: her warm and loving husband Brian (David Duchovny), the father of their two young children, has been killed in a random act of violence. Once anchored by the love and comforts of their 11-year marriage, Audrey is now adrift. Impulsively, she turns to Jerry Sunborne (Del Toro), a down-and-out addict who has been her husband’s close friend since childhood. Desperate to fill the painful void caused by her husband’s death, Audrey invites Jerry to move into the room adjacent to their garage in the hope that he can help her and her children cope with their sudden loss. Jerry is facing a daily battle to stay off drugs, but in his unexpected role as surrogate parent and friend to Audrey’s son and daughter he finds a core of inner resilience. As Jerry and Audrey navigate grief and denial, their fragile bonds are constantly tested. Working together, however, they discover the strength to move forward.
Amazon.com: 'Dad, what does 'fluorescent' mean?' asks a winsome young Dory of his doting dad, played by David Duchovny. Pondering a moment, dad answers, 'It means, 'lit from within.' 'So Dad, am I fluorescent?'' 'Yes, Dory, you are.' The touching, brief moment telegraphs the bond Duchovny's character, Brian, has with his family, including wife Audrey (Halle Berry) and daughter Harper (Alexis Llewellyn), and the love that radiates through and around him. When tragedy strikes early in the film, Berry and the children must acknowledge, and somehow heal, the hole left in their lives. And in that human effort, so little explored in American films, Things We Lost in the Fire holds a luminous candle to the hope left in life--sometimes when all that seems to be left is hope. Directed by the talented Danish director Susanne Bier (Brothers), Fire is allowed to unfold almost in real time as grief washes over the family, and Berry gives one of her most memorable performances, captured mostly in tiny details that will hit the viewer in the soul. Her eyes, the carriage of her head, her slim shoulders appearing to buckle under the weight of her sorrow--Berry is well directed here and shows that her performance in Monster's Ball was no fluke. As she begins to connect with Brian's childhood friend Jerry (Benicio Del Toro), a new family web is woven--irregular, to be sure, but strong and comforting. Other affecting performances are given by the talented charater actor John Carroll Lynch, as Brian's friend and neighbor, and by the heartbreaking Llewellyn, an actress of stunning range for a child so young. Things We Lost in the Fire holds a torch in the deepest darkness, and lets souls connect--a rare gift indeed. --A.T. Hurley
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Average Rating:
Rating: - A poignant human drama that deals with grieving and addiction
"Things We Lost in the Fire" is a riveting human drama that deals with the process of grieving the loss of a loved one. Halle Berry in one her finest performances [since Monster's Ball] plays a widow, Audrey Burke, who is deeply grieving the tragic death of her beloved husband Brian[played by David Duchovny in a very brief but memorable role]. She invites her late husband's best friend, Jerry [Benicio del Toro in an amazing performance] to come live with them with the intent that he will help with their grieving process [he gets along really well with the kids, 10 year-old girl and 6 year-old boy], and also help him sort his life out [he's a recovering heroin addict].
The premise of the story may seem straight-forward but it's so much more complicated - Audrey is so wrapped up in her pain that she lashes out at everyone - her kids, and particularly Jerry, to the extent that at one point she asks Jerry ... Read More
Rating: - Things we lost in the fire: Guaranteed to rub your ear to make you fall asleep!
With this lousy movie, where can I start? How about...I thought Halle Berry's character can prove me wrong on her performance, but she didn't. And David Duchovney,did he have to be in the movie only to die later on, NO! And Yo, Benecio! I thought your character's withdraw scene scared the crap out of me. Okay, let's get to the scene when Halle's character and the kids are at the funeral. She has this mean, stoic look on her face. When Benecio's character comes by, she doesn't shake his hand or anything. My question was:"Why is she so cold towards him?" Then, when it came to point of the man living with them, that's when she spat out, "Why couldn't it be you?" she was even meaner. I understand we all have our different ways of grieving, but Halle's character's way of grieving,I didn't and I never will.
Rating: - 'Lost' Under the Radar
"Accept the good." Three words never meant so much after the loss, despair and redemption the characters in "Things We Lost in the Fire" experience. The plot is simple, straight-forward, and broken into pieces with glimpses of the past. Though seemingly episodic, the actors elevate the material to something truly special. Halle Berry delivers her finest performance as the distraught widow of David Duchovny's character. Moments of kind gesture and jealous rage flip-flop throughout the movie. And yet, Benicio Del Toro's drug-addicted character remains consistently optimistic and nurturing through most of the trials and tribulations.
The musical score is beautiful. And in my opinion, the intricate camera shots show fragments of the characters' body, especially the eyes, to emphasize their broken state of mind. Though some may regard this as an 'average TV Movie of the Week' type of picture, I thought it ... Read More
Rating: - Buckle up
Brilliant portrayal of regular people trying to find their way through a painful situation. I wasn't prepared to enjoy the movie either yet all lead actors demonstrated their worth by bringing the script to life.
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- Things we lost in the fire: Guaranteed to rub your ear to make you fall asleep!
- 'Lost' Under the Radar
