Comment

Mar 12, 2018Minnesinger rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
The guy who said this is a ‘chick flick’ could not be more wrong. It is dark and painful. It’s true that the female actors have the meatier roles, but the tragedy could just as well be father-son. Here the most explosive dialog is between mother and daughter. But the repercussions are far-reaching, affecting all characters. The star is, of course, Meryl Streep, who, as always, immerses herself so completely in the role that she becomes the bitter, vile-tempered woman who repels everyone—including us, the audience. The rage that Streep channels is volcanic. Julia Roberts is also outstanding; she plays the emotionally damaged daughter who gives as good as she gets. She has a lifetime of pain to pay back, and won’t let Mom off the hook. If you suffered abuse as a child, you might want to avoid this film because it is truly painful; I found myself reacting physically, as in PTSD, because it felt so real. The story is a human tragedy as timeless as one of Shakespeare’s tragedies. Don’t expect to be entertained. Just watch great actors at work.