House of D
by Nicolas Rapold
House of D
Directed by David Duchovny
When David Duchovny first hosted Saturday Night Live, he introduced interviews “from the old neighborhood,” which included an alien who whined that they never hung out in high school. The location-shot House of D draws on the actor’s childhood in 1970s Greenwich Village — minus the aliens — for the tale of 13-year-old Tommy Warshaw and his widowed mother. In footloose nostalgic scenes, the young scamp (Anton Yelchin) attends school and delivers meat for the butcher with his mentally handicapped pal, Pappass the janitor (Robin Williams). Balancing the antics is his fraught relationship with loving but jealous Mom (a superb Téa Leoni, also Duchovny’s wife), a bundle of tension and depression.
Like many actor-director debuts, House of D lacks unity but has its moments, and some well-observed characters. Duchovny has an old hand’s feel for the sophomoric bonhomie of a boy’s school, with perfect pubescent detail. Keen sketches include a deadpan religion teacher (Frank Langella) and Tommy’s self-assured first girlfriend (Zelda Williams).
Outside school, the film slides between cornball and tragedy, and flounders with screenwriterly story-book conceits. The film opens and closes awkwardly on grown-up Tom (Duchovny) in Paris telling the story to his wife (silence, Red Shoe Diaries fans!). He finishes by coming home again (cue Williams in age make-up). The titular House of Detention is home to a wise, sassy prostitute (Erykah Badu), who advises Tommy on life and love. “Be free!” she says.
Duchovny fans might be able to coast, though that smirky drawl serves him ill here. No one likes to rain on sentimental nostalgia, but casting Williams, king of treacle and warmed-over improv “energy,” is casus belli alone.
Opens April 15
Nicolas Rapold
Directed by David Duchovny
When David Duchovny first hosted Saturday Night Live, he introduced interviews “from the old neighborhood,” which included an alien who whined that they never hung out in high school. The location-shot House of D draws on the actor’s childhood in 1970s Greenwich Village — minus the aliens — for the tale of 13-year-old Tommy Warshaw and his widowed mother. In footloose nostalgic scenes, the young scamp (Anton Yelchin) attends school and delivers meat for the butcher with his mentally handicapped pal, Pappass the janitor (Robin Williams). Balancing the antics is his fraught relationship with loving but jealous Mom (a superb Téa Leoni, also Duchovny’s wife), a bundle of tension and depression.
Like many actor-director debuts, House of D lacks unity but has its moments, and some well-observed characters. Duchovny has an old hand’s feel for the sophomoric bonhomie of a boy’s school, with perfect pubescent detail. Keen sketches include a deadpan religion teacher (Frank Langella) and Tommy’s self-assured first girlfriend (Zelda Williams).
Outside school, the film slides between cornball and tragedy, and flounders with screenwriterly story-book conceits. The film opens and closes awkwardly on grown-up Tom (Duchovny) in Paris telling the story to his wife (silence, Red Shoe Diaries fans!). He finishes by coming home again (cue Williams in age make-up). The titular House of Detention is home to a wise, sassy prostitute (Erykah Badu), who advises Tommy on life and love. “Be free!” she says.
Duchovny fans might be able to coast, though that smirky drawl serves him ill here. No one likes to rain on sentimental nostalgia, but casting Williams, king of treacle and warmed-over improv “energy,” is casus belli alone.
Opens April 15
Nicolas Rapold
