All Good Things
Director: Andrew Jarecki
With: Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, Frank Langella, Phillip Baker Hall
Based on the true story of a notorious unsolved murder in New York, and fictionalized by a director who knows about family dysfunction (see Jarecki’s Capturing the Friedmans). David Marks (Gosling) is the son of a successful and ruthless real estate baron in New York. David marries Katie (Dunst), and it is a real love match until David’s father (Langella) forces them to give up their life in Vermont and come back to the family business. Then, severe personality disorders emerge as Katie strives for her own independence. David becomes violent and withdrawn, and suffers from the verbal and emotional abuse of his father.
Katie disappears without a trace, and remains missing to this day in the real world. David goes into hiding in Houston disguising himself as a woman. His neighbor Malvern (Hall), befriends him and decides to take violent action in David’s behalf.
I will not divulge any more of the plot, but the movie starts slowly and builds to a real nail-biter. Gosling, who is becoming the go-to-guy for screwed-up but sympathetic characters, gives his usual competent-to-excellent performance. Dunst is terrific as the confused young woman who begins to assert herself. Langella is a monster in a bespoke suit, and Hall is just scary as someone who may be crazier than the unhinged David.
Not always easy to watch, but good.
B+