The Meddler

            Ever since the dawn of the 1970’s, Susan Sarandon grew in popularity among the Hollywood scene, and is now regarded as one of the most recognizable actresses for over forty years. Hell, after “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” she’s appeared in at least one film every one to two years since then, dabbling in films like “Lorenzo’s Oil,” “Speed Racer,” “Dead Man Walking,” and “Thelma & Louise,” one of my all-time favorite movies. Today, we’ll be taking a look at one of her newest dramatic roles, “The Meddler.”

            “The Meddler” tells the story of Marnie Minervini, an aging widow who moves to L.A. to try and reconnect with her daughter, Lori, in hopes of filling up the void in her life. While Lori isn’t too keen with her mom latching onto her, Marnie finds herself helping out a lot of other people who are in need of her assistance. This includes orchestrating a lesbian wedding, taking an Apple store employee go to law school, and giving a retired police officer the confidence he needs to talk with her daughter.

            Do any of you remember a film called “Hello, My Name is Doris?” It came out earlier this year, with a similar theme of elderly woman trying to cope with a loss and finding herself involved with other people’s lives. The difference is that film felt like a lackluster version of “American Beauty,” and it felt very uncomfortable to watch Sally Field in a role this out of place. This isn’t the case with “The Meddler.” It isn’t a film where we follow a woman, who hoards her mother’s old stuff, and stalks her young hunky co-worker to the point of ruining his relationship with his girlfriend. It’s just a small slice of life about a woman trying to find a new purpose in life after her husband’s passing. Nothing more, nothing less.

            Susan Sarandon does a marvelous job as Marnie. Despite the harsh bumps in her life, she still remains optimistic and is willing to throw a helping hand in, even if she barely knows the person. She always has that welcoming presence to her that makes her so humble to anyone who crosses paths with her. Rose Byrne also gives a good performance, playing Marnie’s daughter, Lori. Despite feeling frustrated that her mother is a little too involved in her life, she still feels a deep appreciation for her, and you buy into the chemistry that these two have, as any mother-daughter relationship would go. I also gotta give props to J.K. Simmons as Zipper, the retired police officer and love interest for Marnie. While we all love to associate Simmons for his rough and harsh performances in “Whiplash” and “Spiderman,” this film helps showcase the more welcoming side that we don’t see as often. And much like with Byrne, the chemistry shared with Sarandon is deeply touching, as they both share a common bond of dealing with a daughter that’s frustrated with them, but still knows that they care for them. Similarities tend to attract, I suppose. Other cast members like Cecily Strong, Casey Wilson, Jason Ritter, Lucy Punch, Jerrod Carmichael, and Michael McKean, all do great in their part to keep the story going nicely.

            The film was written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, and I really applaud her work on this. While it doesn’t really have an outrageous scenario as her last film, “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World,” it didn’t really need it. It’s a touching love letter to any mother who’s willing to put herself out for the sake of others, as well as take a few chances in life while they still got time left.

            Overall, “The Meddler” is a charming little film that I’m glad I got the chance to see. With all the high-level action blockbusters or grotesque vulgar comedies that fill the movie theaters every now and then, it’s nice to get a film that’s charming and down to Earth. And for what it gives, I was more than satisfied. If you get a chance to see it, I highly recommend it.

Rating: 10/10