Customer Reviews

Flannel Pajamas

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Where do I start with this one? I'm gonna cheat a bit and give a promotionally given synopsis first (I never do this, but you'll see why in a minute):

"A study of a relationship that starts quickly, burns bright, and then gets rocky, not from any one thing, but from an accumulation of civilization and its discontents. Stuart is glib and generous, Nicole is shy and forthright. He doesn't like her best friend; she tires of his brother's antics. She wants children sooner. He's a poor listener, she broods. Both have divorced parents, and their families complicate their lives. Is love enough to see them through?"

Does this sound familiar and/or close to home? If you're a male between the ages of 25 and 40 it should, or you haven't been in enough long-term relationships that ended in heartbreak (lucky you). Starring Weeds' Justin Kirk and L&O's Julianne Nicholson (who actually doesn't look like a tomboy lesbian in this one). But reading this above synopsis only tells a small part of the story, and not that correctly to begin with. This is not a comedy, it's real life. The struggle between trying to make two totally different entities, a man and a woman, compatible. What gets you about this film is the utter honesty of how romance between a couple inevitability changes between dating and marriage, and how one or more parties cannot accept that fact. In alot of ways it showed to me why the divorce rate is so high for my generation than my parents, that we as a society and age-group find it so hard to make ourselves better suited for our partners until the damage is done and it's too late. Alot of people (myself included) have said "They need to accept me for who I am", but that's easier said than done. This film shows what early love and long-term coupling is all about, and what will eventually come to pass, no matter how successful your relationship seems. And because this is an independent production, unlike Hollywood ones that take this subject matter lightly, this is raw and brutally honest. Even the amount of nudity, and trust me there's alot, both female and male from it's two stars, isn't very romantic or sexy but real and relationship-like. At times watching this couple slowly fall apart due to the stubborness of it's members is very hard to watch, and for most comes too close to home, at least it did for me. And for it's ending, it leaves you broken and dissatisfied just like the loved ones that got away from your past. Not a fun movie to watch, but anyone who would like not to live their lives alone should see it to know what to expect if it doesn't work out like what Hollywood constantly tells you it will.
(RedSabbath Rating:8.0/10)

A strange title for a film, "Flannel Pajamas" isn't at all what I thought it was when I first saw the trailer maybe a year or so before I saw the actual film. I thought it was a movie about a couple, a romance of sorts that goes awry but maybe has a happy ending...well it is indeed about a couple, one that meets unexpectedly amongst friends, a romance ensues and does go awry and well, there's a happy ending depending on how you look at the characters, and from whose point of view.

Both the characters, Nicole (Julianne Nicholson) and Stuart (Justin Kirk) are like-able but with developing flaws as they progress deeper into their relationship. Doesn't that always happen in real life? You think you know someone, date them, marry them and they aren't who you thought they were...

A very realistic portrayal of two people in love with having someone to love, but aren't truly in love with each other as life, work, family and all those nitpicks start to crack their relationship. I enjoyed the banter and talk between the characters, conversations you can imagine about living together, money, changing jobs, having a dog, a child and especially family gatherings that you must attend but hate.

The one thing that bothered me throughout the movie was the upfront nudity. It's not unnatural, but it seems excessive for a movie...or maybe this is to show each character's openness and vulnerability, I'm not sure but it's so casual it's weird. There is that questionable scene in Stuart's apartment where Nicole undresses timidly, and that's the most uncomfortable scene I've seen in a movie in awhile...I think it says alot about both characters, where their relationship is based, and where it falls apart in a way. That uncomfortable willingness to please one another while not entirely pleasing oneself, and thus no one is really happy.

Another scene that touched me, is when Stuart is crossing the road and sees a couple with a child and tears up. Beautiful, yet so dark, so alone. It's a moment where it seems like a child would've saved their marriage, but that's brought on by Nicole's constant insistence and Stuart's resistance of the whole situation.

I thought it strange too, about the whole financial storyline, where Nicole seems so dependant on Stuart, but only because he was the first to bring it up - offering to pay for so many of her "baggages"/ideas. Isn't so true that most marriages break up because of money issues? I agreed with Stuart's character when he bluntly told Nicole he didn't want a family if he couldn't provide for them. That maybe sounded so selfish to Nicole, but in real life, that sounds so reasonable. Is it not?

The first 10 minutes of the movie, I was thinking I wasn't going to like "Flannel Pajamas", but in the end, I definitely RECOMMEND it. There is a rawness to the story, the characters and how sometimes you just end up broken-hearted, and you have no idea how you got there.

Perhaps because I'm in middle age and have gone through a few relationships I could see the mistakes Stuart and Nicole were making all along the way to sabotage their relationship. I admired that in some ways the film was very honest. For instance it is not self-conscious about nudity and sex. When the couple begin to explore sex they simply take off their clothes. They don't walk out of the bathroom wearing bathrobes, the camera doesn't start hiding behind the furniture, etc. At a certain point the film politely draws the curtain, which is appropriate and preferable to the fake sex scenes we usually get in Hollywood movies. Unfortunately, the film's honesty is not enough. I found myself unable to care enough about Stuart and Nicole to stay engaged as their marriage gradually came apart. I found Stuart in particular quite unlikeable. His need to control and his air of self-importance put me off. Neither Stuart nor Nicole reaches out to anyone who could possibly help them. What is the point of Stuart talking to Nicole's girlfriend who doesn't believe in marriage and commitment, or Nicole's mother who has never liked him and tells him bluntly that she won't help? Given that they supposedly care about their relationship is it realistic that they do not reach out to anyone who really might be able to help - a counselor, therapist, minister, rabbi? Perhaps some people allow their relationships to crash and burn in this way, but it ain't pretty and I can't recommend watching it, except perhaps as a cautionary tale.

Flannel Pajamas is a perceptive exploration of a couple's relationship from the heady, lust-driven days of courtship to moving in and marriage. It deals with a couple, Stuart [Justin Kirk] and Nicole [Julianne Nicholson] who seem to be opposites yet are drawn to each other whilst on a blind date, and their feelings for each other grows from passion to love, resulting in marriage. The path of love doesn't run smooth though, for these two individuals have a lot going against them - they are opposites in character and interests, he is Jewish & she is Catholic, and their respective families put added strain on an already fragile relationship.

The story of Stuart and Nicole's navigation through each other's 'baggage' is told with a certain poignancy, and is credibly done, esp with the amazing performance by Julianne Nicholson as the emotionally dependent Nicole. The let down was the wooden, whiny, unconvincing performance by Justin Kirk as the emotionally vacant & self-absorbed Stuart. He seems incapable of expressing his emotions credibly and comes off as very artificial in his acting. Perhaps the role was just too demanding for him.

There is a lot of nudity in this movie, and a couple of full-frontal nude scenes, which I thought was tastefully done, and in fact did not detract from the storytelling. Was it necessary? Perhaps, esp in one scene where Stuart asks Nicole to fully strip for him, and Nicole's reluctance to do so [indicating her own inhibitions & reservations] before feeling forced to comply.

All in all, this is a worthwhile emotional drama that though devoid of humor, paints a compelling portrait of two people who love each other, but find themselves moving in opposite directions, a situation not uncommon in many contemporary relationships. If you're expecting a humorous, upbeat look at love then this is not your cup of tea, but those looking for a more serious take on what makes relationships work or fail, may appreciate Flannel Pajamas.

"Flannel Pajamas" is anchored primarily by the heartbreaking performance of lead actress Julianne Nicholson. This realistic depiction of love forming and falling apart works on a scene by scene basis, especially in several brilliantly written exchanges that Nicholson and co-star Justin Kirk play with the perfect blend angst, confusion, and hope. As a whole, the film could stand to be twenty minutes shorter, ditching several underdeveloped subplots and peripheral characters. Stylistically, the movie feels a bit dated. Digital video may have better captured its voyeuristic examination of contemporary married life. But this is an exercise in content, not form, and Nicholson makes it all worthwhile.

This is one of those movies that will have you and your significant other discussing broad relationship issues, like marriage, children, how to deal with your other's friends and family, etc. Although it is not the most upbeat, it offers a lot to its audience and provides a heartfelt look into the lives of two very different people as they sort out who they are and who they want to become.

I really appreciated how this film depicted the stages of a romance from the initial passion to breakup to the point where things were possibly reconciled. The acting is good and everything else from directing to casting seems to fall into place. The end result is an enjoyable but heartbreaking film that even I was kind of hoping things would work out for the couple in the end.

Stuart and Nicole meet and become lovers then make the plunge into marriage. Now for those of us who are or have been married for a long period of time know that marriage doesn't just happen. It must be worked at constantly in order for it to survive. Stuart and Nicole were too young and too pig-headed to see the challenges. They tried to establish timetables as to when things would happen. That is fine but the timetable should be mutually agreed upon rather than imposed by one or the other spouse. When things began to get rocky, they didn't do anything to adjust their approach to the marriage. sa result the marriage ended up in separation. Too late did Stuart realize his faults and Nicole by then was unwilling to yield any of herself to save the marriage.

Watching the film I was not really convinced that the problems that ultimately lead to the separation were really noticeable. It almost seemed like the film more or less just transitioned into the strained relationship phase without really building up to it. But neverttheless, the viewer still kind of hoped the two would reconcile. Unfortunately, this is where the film abruptly ends. At first I was disappointed then I conculded it was up to the viewer to decide if they got back together or not.

Flannel Pajamas is an intelligent film. The dialogue is exceptionally well written and manages to keep the viewer in the movie - as most good "Indie" flicks often do. Pajamas captures the trials and tribulations of a 30 something couple pursuing different directions in life and serves as a modern day character/relationship study that will seem all too familiar to the young and independent living and working in a metropolitan environment. Julianne Nicholson and Justin Kirk have excellent chemistry together, doing a superb job of portraying a couple adapting to contemporary problems that threaten to tear them apart. It comes together as a poignant love story of opposites attracting and making it work.

These types of movies often get overlooked when it comes to critics or the general public and are underestimated in terms of value. It is understandable how someone who likes "XXX" with Vin Diesel would hate this movie as they are opposite ends of the spectrum. Likewise, for those of you that loathe the unimaginative huge budget big-named action films that pollute Hollywood and movie screens across the country, you'll love this one. Flannel Pajamas promises a much needed break from the mainstream and represents a smaller movie making a big impression.

The movie starts on Stuart and Nicole's first date. You basically feel as if you are in their relationship because you go through everything with them: the first time they are intimate, family meetings, problems with best friends and family members, their wedding, etc. These moments really kept me with the movie, because no matter how much someone tells you about their relationship, you never see the whole picture. Well, this movie shows you the whole picture, and then some.

Eventually, they start having bigger problems. Something tragic happens in his family, then she wants a child, and he doesn't. She accuses him of "not holding my hand enough," and she starts to pull away from him. This is where it gets a little bit confusing. You are not really sure what started the fact that they are growing apart, but there is a definite difference on how they begin to treat each other. Maybe that's the beauty of the whole thing. It's raw and it's real, there are no fluffy, Hollywood endings in sight.

Even though I liked it, I took away a couple of stars. It started off strongly with good writing and very entertaining story. But, as the movie went on, I lost interest a little bit. It took me a couple of nights to get through the last half hour. I went back and forth when it came to deciding how much I liked this movie. I believe that it had a great start, but it may have gone on for too long.

This is an odd movie about an unlikely couple whose romantic relationship evolves into marriage and then comes unraveled. Paced and structured unlike any Hollywood romance you've ever seen, it is open to a variety interpretations, and its ending is inconclusive. Yes, they break up, but why exactly and whose fault is it? The reasons are both subtle and obvious. Stewart (Justin Kirk) is a rescuer, lifting Nicole (Julianne Nicholson) out of the bonds of poverty and debt, supporting her dream of starting her own catering business, all the time being winning, patient, and loving. Nicole comes from a dysfunctional family - alcoholics and child abusers. Meanwhile, Stewart seems to be making an implausibly handsome living as a marketer, creating false advertising for theatre productions.

The early scenes of nude love-making suggest an open honesty between them that then gradually erodes over time, as they assume more layers of clothing, until Stewart's final declaraton of love is delivered in a suit and tie. By this time, they have had a long-running dispute about when to start having children, they disagree over whether to get a dog, and there's a crisis when Nicole has a miscarriage. Meanwhile, she has accused him of having too few friends, "never listening" and "not holding hands" often enough. His over-confidence perhaps in his ability to heal the wounds life has inflicted on her make him overbearing and too controling. She pulls away from him, fulfilling the judgments of her closest friend and her mother (unapologetically anti-semitic, we discover) that they were never meant for each other. The film finally seems to be saying that no marriage has much of a chance, and if it takes effort for two people to stay together, that's not going to be enough.