Welcome To The Rileys [DVD]

This is a 2009 indie film directed by Jake Scott (son of Ridley and nephew of Tony). It's been a long while coming, as is the case with many indie films but, in the words of Kristen Stewart herself 'I guess people will want to check out the Twilight girl dressed up as a stripper'.

This is arguably true to an extent, but this movie offers a lot more. KStew gives a very impressive side in her performance here, as a foul-mouthed young woman who has seen it all in a lousy hand dealt to her by life.

Ever since the death of their daughter Emily, Doug (James Gandolfini) and Lois Riley (Melissa Leo) have been drifting apart. As Lois wrestles with guilt over her daughter's death, Doug copes by entering into an affair with Vivian, a local waitress. Lately, Lois hasn't even been able to muster the courage to venture outside. When Vivian dies and Doug finds himself in a New Orleans strip club during a business trip, he realises he's come to a crossroads in life.

Turning down an offer for a private dance by 16-year-old stripper/prostitute Mallory (Kristen Stewart), Doug instead accompanies the girl home and makes a most unusual proposition: If Mallory will allow him to stay in her run down apartment long enough to straighten himself out, he will pay her $100 a day for her trouble, and make no attempt to sleep with her at all (a deal many men would perhaps have negotiated somewhat differently).
For Mallory, who isn't used to getting money for nothing, it seems like a great deal. She accepts, and Doug phones Lois to tell her he won't be coming home.
As time passes, Doug and Mallory settle into an unconventional kind of domesticity.

However, things veer off this cosy new path when Lois decides to break out and head down to New Orleans herself....

I really liked this film, which has a quiet but absorbing pace as it delivers its message of hope, redemption and learning to accept one's losses and move on.

Highly recommended.

Kristen Stewart will of course get the lion's share of publicity on this one as a prostitute that's one step away from oblivion (she actually deserves the hype that surrounds her) - but for me it's the combo of James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo who are astonishing.

Directed by Jake Scott and Executive Produced by his famous relations Tony and Ridley of Scott Free Productions - 2010's "Welcome To The Rileys" is a small independent movie with a big heart and even bigger performances.

Doug Riley is on autopilot - playing out his joyless poker games on Thursday night with the boys - sleeping with Vivienne the waitress in the local diner - not sleeping with Lois his wife of 30 years. But there's a reason for his wife's frigidity and her desperately lonely pill taking - not to mention Doug's quiet sobbing in the garage with a cigarette in the dark. Both Doug and Lois lost their 15-year old daughter Emily in an avoidable car accident in 2001 - and with unspoken hurt and unallocated blame - have been escalating damaged goods ever since. But when Vivien his diner-lover of 4 years dies (a subtle performance by Eisa Davis) and Doug goes on a business holiday to New Orleans - he gets more than he bargained for when he goes upstairs with a 17-year old pole dancer and hooker. And this is where the real story begins...

The acting in "Welcome To The Rileys" is top class and goes a long to forgiving the largely terrible picture quality (a lot of night shots with little or no clarity). First up is a magnificent turn by Gandolfini. In what could have been such a pervy role, he lends his big-bruiser Doug a good-man's gravitas that is wholly believable. Melissa Leo gets the toughest role - and she eats it up with a performance that keeps you glued. And then there's the talented and beautiful Kristen - her jumpy malnourished creation is all spotty skin, blurred eye shadow and bruised limbs. Mallory has been dumped on all of her life - and her street-fighting cornered-rat mistrust of everything takes some breaking through. But Doug is determined - and so is his wife - who comes after Doug and has to make some major life-adjustments herself. All three have been rightly applauded for their work in this...

Ok - "Welcome To The Rileys" is perhaps a little implausible at times - but the writing and the storytelling will slowburn their way into your heart. And it has an ending that isn't pat - despite the huge pressure there must have been on Jake Scott to deliver just that - happy families all the way...

A bit of an overlooked gem frankly. I liked this film a lot.

Put it high on your rental list.

I really enjoyed this film. Not compatible with my DVD player as i am in the UK, but could watch it on my laptop. Gandolfini is great as the caring compassionate stranger, his relationship with Stewart plays well. It was refreshing to see Stewart in a completely different role than that of Bella Swan etc etc. I feel she really did the part justice and although only 21, she can act as well as the rest of them, if not better. Hence her popularity and in-demand status. Melissa Leo's performance was fantastic, enlightening and believable and all three characters were well written and cast. If you like all three actors and/or would just like to see Stewart in a different genre than Twilight, then give it a try. Great movie, highy recommend it.