Fans of Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron had to wait twelve years to see them kiss again on screen. The 57-year-old Australian star stars alongside the 36-year-old Californian actorA family affair” (“A Family Affair”, in English title) the new bet of Netflix for the romantic comedy genre.
Indeed, in 2012 the couple was part of the star cast of “The Newspaper Boy”, the film by Lee Daniels that told the story of journalist Ward Jansen (Matthew McConaughey) returning to his native Florida to investigate the crime of the local sheriff. . In the middle of that search, a woman with very strange habits abruptly intervenes (Charlotte Bless/Nicole Kidman), who ends up stirring the hormones of Jack, Ward’s younger brother, played by him – at that time still very much linked to the memory. from ‘Disney World’– Zac Efron.
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Although, except for the sexual approaches and the shots of Efron’s naked torso, the truth is that there are very few links between “The Newspaper Boy” and “A Family Affair.” The first is a dark film, with somewhat grotesque moments and creaky characters stuck in the sixties. Quite the opposite happens in the Netflix proposal that, under the direction of Richard LaGravenese and with the script by Carrie Solomon, we will discuss below.
Nicole Kidman, Joey King and Zac Efron in a scene from “A Family Affair.”
“A family affair” is a 111-minute film that explores the romantic bond that emerged between writer Brooke Howard (Nicole Kidman) and famous actor Chris Cole (Zac Efron). They are not only differentiated by her ages (she is 16 years older than him), but also by their past, present, and ways of facing the future.
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Conceived as a romantic comedy, the new proposal by Netflix includes a third important character and another couple of secondary ones with varying relevance. The first is Zara Ford (Joey King), Brooke’s daughter, a 24-year-old girl who is looking to make her way in the entertainment industry, but is unable to take a step forward in her employment as Cole’s assistant. The other two are Leila Ford, Brooke’s mother-in-law, who treats her as if she were her daughter, and does not cut her wings at any possibility of considering a new life with another man (Zara’s father died years ago). back). Finally, provided with almost minimal relevance, is the character of Eugenie (Liza Koshy), Zara’s friend and confidant.
Something that is clearly evident in the first part of “A family affair”” is the script’s attempt to outline the protagonists as best as possible, in order to then pose various dilemmas and conflicts as a result of their differences. Thus, Chris is the closest thing to a diva who, punished for his infantilism and immaturity, fires Zara every time she throws a tantrum. Or, failing that, asks her to resign. This consumer of “isolated protein” and “cow’s milk, but real cow’s milk,” has just come out of “one more romance,” when he crosses paths with Brooke. She also defines herself from her first appearances: a successful writer and journalist who, after being widowed, has prioritized everything except her heart. All with a respectable maturity.
The role of Kathy Bates, Zara’s grandmother, is one of the most sensible in the film.
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Thirdly, there is Zara, constructed as a woman who, in her mid-20s, still seems to have one foot and a half in adolescence. In that sense, although she wants to make her own way in Hollywood, she is not able to enroll in studies that will help her achieve it. But that is not all, the character played by Joey King goes through life with several ‘issues’: from the eternal comparison with her successful mother, to self-absorption, which causes her to block out situations that she perhaps considers do not help her: not only does she “never tell her mother anything,” but she does not even take five minutes to listen to the problems of her good friend Eugenie.
In this panorama of completely defined characters, happily, a share of logic emerges, which comes from Leila, the mother-in-law. Played by Kathy Bates, this character is the only one who keeps her feet on the ground and does not waste any of her appearances to throw good advice, ideas and suggestions right and left. It is she who first encourages her daughter-in-law to give love a chance. It is she who then persuades Zara not to become a hindrance to Brooke’s happiness. In this line, Bates’ character is perhaps the one who benefits the most from what can be considered the strong side of “The Good Doctor.”A family affair”: the attempt of its scriptwriter to sprinkle in one or another well-constituted reflection, capable of breaking the mold of the typical rom com light.
Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron are a couple twelve years later. (Photo: Netflix)
From Brooke’s “I write to find out what I think about things I don’t understand,” to Leila’s “no good story ever started with someone being rational,” to a defeated Zara’s “I don’t know why it took me so long to understand that your happiness doesn’t take anything away from me,” in the film’s epilogue, Salomon’s attempt to give some substance to this romantic and family story is evident, although, at the same time, insufficient, when compared to other elements that end up making noise in several of its 111 minutes of length.
It would be wrong to see the age difference between the main characters of “A family affair” as its central theme. Raised only by Zara as an initial “problem”, the factor quickly deflates. In that the movie Netflix It distances itself from another similar proposal that emerged days ago in the competition, Prime Video. We are talking about “The Idea of You”, in which Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine give life to a plastic artist and a pop singer who fall in love, but must end up almost hidden because their notorious age difference can generate terrible comments from the press that follows the latter every time he goes out with the former.
Although in an unambitious film, Nicole Kidman delivers a quite acceptable performance. (Photo: Netflix)
/ Tina Rowden
Unlike “The Idea of You,” where everything seems very focused on her and him, “A family affair“It involves third parties who, happily, contribute to ‘easing’ a romance that always seems on the verge of falling into the easy solution of caresses and naked torsos.
Not that there aren’t any, of course. As happened in “The Newspaper Boy” – a 2012 film mentioned at the beginning of this article – Zac Efron seems more comfortable without a shirt than with one on. A detail that has followed him throughout much of his career and that, unfortunately, sometimes prevents him from being judged under nuances that can be applied to Nicole Kidman, who has just shined in so many dramatic hits that would surely deserve a review. apart. To show a couple of buttons: Big Little Lies and, much more recently, “Expatriates”. But both cases, compared to “A family affair“, would be talking about the sun and the moon.
A FAMILY AFFAIR/NETFLIX
Synopsis: When Zara (Joey King) quits her job as personal assistant to Hollywood heartthrob Chris Cole (Zac Efron), she inadvertently sets the stage for a chance meeting between Chris and her famous writer mother, Brooke (Nicole Kidman). In just a few hours, Brooke and Chris realize the undeniable chemistry between them, leading to hilarious situations as Zara’s self-absorbed boss attempts to woo his incredulous mother. This multigenerational romantic comedy follows each character as they navigate the complications of love, sex, and identity. Directed by Richard Lagravenese (Beautiful Creatures, P.S. I Love You) from a screenplay by Carrie Solomon, A Family Affair also stars Kathy Bates and Liza Koshy.
Director: Richard LaGravenese
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, Joey King
Duration: 111 minutes
