Writer: Dzamira DzafriWriter Ratings:Overall: 



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Watch this if you liked: "Revolutionary Road" and "Up in the Air"
Based on a book by Joyce Maynard, the movie of a mother hiding an escaped convict and ends up falling in love with him is quite an interesting story to portray through film.
Jason Reitman, who has previously directed great modern classics like "Juno", "Up In The Air" and "Thank You For Smoking", adapted the novel as a script and took up this movie project as his own. Though we know that his theme for the films he makes seem to be edgy and modern fairy tales, "Labor Day" feels like a different take to it, in both cinematography and style of story.
Though the story of an escaped convict (played by Josh Brolin) falling in love with someone he kidnapped feels like strange distorted fan fiction, it is still already a classic Reitman. More importantly, it feels like it could be one of the best accidental romance films of the year.
Kate Winslet, who plays struggling single mother Adele, plays her struggle really well and its not unlike "Revolutionary Road" or "The Reader". She portrayed depression and sadness so brilliantly because she also showed us a hint of light trying to peek through her emotions.
We watch the film almost through the eyes of her preteen son, who sees his mother as someone he should be taking care of as a 'husband', but realizing he lacks what she needs because he has no real father figure (his real father played by Clark Gregg married his secretary and started another family of his own).
So when their lives were threatened by escaped convict Frank, instead of trying to escape and seek help after they were trusted, they let their guards down fairly quickly and opened their doors to him being the man that they so needed.
The film touched on the longing for love, and finding it in the strangest of places. It was satisfying in some aspects to see Adele being happier and fulfilled, but at the same time it will make you pity them because she had such yearning.
We would also still be wary of Frank's intentions, even though he seems to have fallen in love and was willing to risk his life and limb too. That factor has made audiences question our judgments on whether or not we judge people first according to how trustworthy we see them.
Besides the outstanding emotional aspects and storyline, the use of strong sunlight has made this film worth an eye-oggle. It made the film a lot more beautiful and real, to compliment the themed modern classic fairytale feel of a movie.
"Labor Day" will certainly surprise you with the emotions it will carry and make you wear, and you'll leave the theater wondering how you could even live without the escaped convict of your dreams.
Cinema Online, 12 March 2014