WECOME TO THE RILEYS written by Alyn Darnay

Reviewed by Alyn Darnay for YETicket

Directed by Jake Scott

Staring: James Gandolfini (Sopranos), Melissa Leo (The Fighter, Conviction), Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga, Runaways).

WELCOME TO THE RILEYS is a powerful drama that ultimately proves to be a film of redemption. It starts down one road and turns unexpectedly down another; as a matter of fact that is what’s so good about it, it avoids the usual clichés and plows very interesting territory in interesting ways, truly adult ways. I have to admit that the first 15 minutes or so left me rather cold, but then all of a sudden I found myself dragged into the story and really enjoying it.

The screenplay, written with a deft hand and a lot of adult savvy by Ken Hixon, manages to avoid all the stereotypical dialog we generally associate with this type of story, to leave us with a true expression of human interaction on a street smart level.

The story goes like this, a loving married couple who have grown apart after the accidental death of their 15 year old daughter eight years ago, Doug and Lois Riley (James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo) still care for each other but have little or no communication left. She has become agoraphobic and confines herself to the house, while he has taken on a long-term loving affair with Vivian, a black pancake house waitress (excellently played by Eisa Davis). In New Orleans on a business trip Doug stumbles upon 16-year-old runaway stripper/prostitute Mallory (Kristen Stewart) and they form a strange platonic father/daughter bond. What happens next is the springboard for all the unexpected twists and turns that make this story worth seeing, and I’ll save you the surprise by not addressing it.

This is a true ensemble piece with all the actors working off one another perfectly and that’s a joy to watch. Gandolfini, is spot-on with his Indiana accent and low-key performance, leaving no trace of Tony Soprano around to clutter things up, and delivers a powerful and believable performance. Melissa Leo is the most interesting player to watch as she transforms herself from a passive to active person in the most plausible of ways. Even Kristen Stewart, who turns in a performance that lays her bare and vulnerable, proves she really does have acting chops after all. Together, they turn in a raw, well-nuanced performance, that’s a pleasure to see on screen.

The whole thing was directed by Jake Scott; Rydley and Tony Scott’s younger brother, who manages to deliver a well-drawn character-driven drama that maybe a bit sluggish in places, but delivers just the right bite in the end.

WELCOME TO THE RILEYS is not the best film ever made but if you’ve been waiting to see a good adult drama, you could do lots worse than this one.

Rating 3 ½ Stars (out of 5)

“Welcome To The Rileys” is rated R. (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.)