Things We Lost In the Fire

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Whilst out getting ice-cream for his picture-perfect offspring, Brian (Duchovny) is killed trying to protect a battered wife from her abusive husband. Devastated by the loss, his wife Audrey (Berry) invites his drug addicted best friend Jerry (Del Toro) to stay with her and the kids. Why David Duchovny isn't in more mainstream theatrical releases is beyond me. Here, the Californication star's dry delivery may only be used intermittently, but his performance is one of the few things about Susan Bier's English-speaking debut that resonates. It's not that Berry and Del Toro don't give exceptional performances; both more than equip themselves ably as the mismatched pair in mourning - it's that they're left to do very little other than mope around, pondering Brian's life. As soon as the flashbacks to Brian's existence cease, about a half hour in, so too does the story - then things just become depressing and stay that way. The script does a great job of introducing and establishing characters; it just doesn't bother exploring them thoroughly enough to warrant staying with them for another 90 minutes after Brian buys the farm. Bier's direction doesn't help proceedings either, throwing in an ostentatious extreme close-up every once in a while to remind us of her arty roots - it merely interrupts the already languorous pacing. Audrey is also very hard to like, and sympathising with a character you feel didn't deserve such a husband in the first place is a hard thing to do. That said, there are some genuine moments of intimacy between Berry and Duchovny that are extremely well observed, and Del Toro has obviously done his research into recovering drug addicts as his cold turkey feels authentic - if a little unnecessarily drawn-out. Ultimately, Things We Lost In The Fire is a tough watch for the wrong reasons, despite notable turns from all concerned, with extra kudos to Duchovny.