A strange film with good acting and production values but let down by a sloppy and soppy story. Adele is a depressed single mother bringing up 13 year-old Henry. Dad has married his secretary and has a new family and is happy. Into their lives by means of a chance meeting in a supermarket comes Frank, an escaped convict. The sort that served time but it wasn’t all his fault even though he killed someone! 
Well, Frank turns out to be an exemplary handyman and chef and before you know it he has made it to Adele’s bed and she,
being happier than in years is planning for them all to escape to Canada. Neighbours pop round inconveniently, the police are out searching and Henry is getting a bird’s eye view of the weird way romance works at the same time his own hormones are waking up with the new girl in town.
Somehow, all this rather schmaltzy plot is more believable on the screen as Reitman’s languid direction makes it all seem more plausible. Right down to a peach pie, they all get their hands sticky making.
Kate Winslet is as excellent as ever, a very solid Josh Brolin as Frank 
and Gattlin Griffith acceptable as Henry. Loved Rolfe Kent’s slow moody music. So plenty of gems in an otherwise logically flawed film.
★★★
passionfilm 