Jason Reitman directs Charlize Theron, Ron Livingston and Mackenzie Davis in this family drama about a frazzled mother of 3 who hires a mysterious night nanny to help with her newborn.

Featuring another impressively in-depth and committed central turn from Theron and Reitman’s artful visually astute direction, Tully should be more than the sum of its parts. It is not as entertaining or witty as previous Reitman / Diablo Cody collaborations … it is after all a film focused on postpartum mental health… not the stuff of big yucks. Then again Juno was about teen pregnancy and Young Adult about malignant arrested development and stalking… so… I guess their partnership stands out as they make quality adult dramas for adults with very little manipulation or concession for demographics or studio conformity. Their work compares favourably with the kind of Hollywood New Cinema auteur work that is now overlooked. Their oeuvre shares the craftsmanship, concerns and sadness with work like Petulia, Hal Ashby or Robert Altman. Tully will mean more to some people than it does to me. It has a power I can’t personally tap into but do appreciate. To my unattached eye it feels like [SPOILERS] an underwhelming Mary Poppins meets Fight Club. But I still admire its uniqueness and ambition in the current movie marketplace.

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