In the Land of Woman (7.5/10)

Stephanie Zacharek said that this a gentle film that won't leave much of an impression, but you'll have a pleasant time watching it. I agree full heartedly. Will this movie change my life? No is the simplest answer. Yet the movie is nice to watch. It's relaxing yet engaging at the same time. What I mean by that is the scenery/plot is simple and there's not an explosion nor car chase in sight. It's very mellow and tranquil. The music, character development and genuine interest is what will suck you in.

If there was ever a movie that borrowed elements from other films this would be it. However this film belongs to a small genre, I'm not sure if it has a name, but let's call it the Graduate genre (Based off the immortal "The Graduate"). This genre is about young men in their twenties who're deep individuals, enjoy good music (the soundtracks in these movies are key), are stuck in life or have gone through something hard recently and a descent people (not the best but still nice). "Garden State", "Adventureland", "500 Days of Summer", "Away We Go" and "High Fidelity" all have elements like this. While all those movies are better that "In the Land of Woman" that doesn't mean this isn't a good film.

Men like Carter Webb (Adam Brody) have an idea about life. One is that they will never be truly happy unless they have love and inspiration. Carter writes soft core porn scripts and has recently been dumped by his actress girlfriend Sofia (Elena Anaya). So he goes to suburban Michigan to take care of his grandmother for a change of pace. Here he hopes to write the book he's always wanted to do. Across the street are the Hardwicke's. The mother Sarah (Meg Ryan) has breast cancer scares and a lot of other problems. The eldest daughter is Lucy (Kristen Stewart). Sarah and Carter talk one day and she asks her daughter to take him to a movie. The characters move through problems as all of them deal with issues involving woman (hence the title). It's not about woman's emotions but a collective of ideas with women being the central theme.

This isn't necessary a movie to remember. However not every good movie will be. I enjoyed "In the Land of Woman". The acting was sublime, the mood well done and anything in the Graduate genre are always nice. "In the Land of Woman" is for people who reside in the land of deep and lost people looking for answers.

7.5/10
Recommendation: If you like "Garden State" then this is for you. Also the film proves why Iceman is Springsteen's best song, you'll see what I mean.