Welcome to the Riley’s (2010)
Genre: Drama
Director: Jake Scott
Writer: Ken Hixon
Stars: James Gandolfini, Kristen Stewart and Melissa Leo
My score 4/5
Doug Riley is a plumbing supplies contractor from Indianapolis who lives with his wife Lois and reaching their 30th wedding anniversary. After they lost their 15 year old daughter in a tragic car accident the couple has grown distant with no exchange of intimate relationship and spoken barely few words a day. It seems like Doug and Lois both miss their lives inside yet don’t know where to begin in finding it again. Meanwhile Doug finds comfort in a black waitress yet that relationship doesn’t last long either even though it brings some kind of a peace in to Doug’s life. Lost and torn this couple seems to be just living their days for nothing.
Doug goes to New Orleans for a convention and there he unexpectedly meets a 16 year old girl Mallory who is a stripper. Rather than taking advantage of her with her own consent Doug see someone else in her and starts to emotionally care for her. He somehow makes in an ambition to take this teenage girl out of her miserable life and give her some comfort and long lost fatherhood. But this task become difficult by the day as Mallory resist to change or to accept Doug’s generosity even though she know his genuine motives.
‘Welcome to the Riley’s’ is a heartfelt drama. Most of the moments are silent and filled with self perseverance but the script gradually builds up a solid story line. It’s not boring even though it’s a little slow which almost all dramas are. But there is something special about this one. This one is about self retribution. Don’t know if it’s totally correct to describe it that way but I feel like Doug is trying to find peace in his heart by dedicating his effort to make a something good for Mallory. The society is a wicked place to be good some times which the script proves over and over. The harsh words coming out of Mallory’s mouth must have pierced Doug’s heart one too many times. Yet he patiently set on his path which maybe his experience in life has tough him to do so.
Acting wise the movie is mention worthy. Doug played by James Gandolfini is a role skillfully done. And at the same time Melissa Leo effectively plays Lois the depressed, grieving mother who hasn’t set foot out of the house for months. And finally the Twilight famed Kristen Stewart portraying the damaged and arrogant stripper girl make us forget her glamorous lead role in the romantic vampire franchise with her performance in ‘Welcome to the Riley’s’.
As a viewer you will be made to judge these characters. You will be asked to decide if what they do is right or wrong or if they did really succeeded in their roles at the end. Even thought it has no fairy tale ending this movie will live in your minds for a long time.
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