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Moviereview: 'The Private Lives of Pippa Lee'

Amy Biancolli, Hearst Movie Writer |December 11, 20090Photo by Screen Media FilmsRobin Wright Penn and Keanu Reeves in "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee."

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

 Drama. Directed by Rebecca Miller. Starring Robin Wright. (R, 98 minutes. At Bay Area theaters.)"The Private Lives of Pippa Lee," a manneredlook at a saintly wife with oodles ofsecrets,opens with atoast toits maincharacter."She is amystery - anenigma," says aputativefriendnamed Sam (Mike Binder),while thetoastee (Robin Wright) listensdemurely. As it turns out, dissatisfactiongurgles beneath thatcalm exterior. "To beperfectly honest, I've had enough ofbeing anenigma," Pippa confesses innarration. "I wanna be known."She never quitegets herwish inwriter-director Rebecca Miller's ("Angela")adaptation of her own novel, a soul-searching,ultimately disjointed film thatdips into Pippa's sordidpast butfails to connect it with her Martha Stewartpresent. Italsofails to connect any of it, on any visceral level, with theaudience.It almost works. We almost care about her. Awhopper of a plot twist late inthe game explains Pippa'stransformation as some kind of self-flagellatorypenance, but by thatpoint it feels like an afterthought.Pippalives in aleafysuburban retirement community with hermuch-older husband, Herb (Alan Arkin), a likeablyacerbicpublisherwho'sracked up the samenumber ofheart attacks as wives (three). Theyhavetwogrownkids, Ben (Ryan McDonald), a rather dull law student, and Grace (Zoe Kazan), a sullen photojournalist. And theyhave a fewclosefriends, including the obnoxious Sam andhis unstable otherhalf, Sandra (Winona Ryder),whose morbidlydepressive cryingjags are played for laughs."The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" boasts all the usualhallmarks of an edgy indie comedy-drama,mixing upeccentric humor withglumrevelation and occasionalbursts ofwackysuburban melodrama. Charactersact bemused in onescene, bored in another, shouting or exploding saline in thenext. Miller -daughter of the late playwright Arthur -has an obvious affection for thesedamaged people, and an obviouslove of theleafy Connecticut hillswhereshegrew up.But her affection alone can't carry the story. Neither can Wright, afine,steelyactresswho bearsverylittle resemblance (physical oremotional) tothe film's other Pippas,even as her super-wifely facadebegins to crack.-- Advisory: Sexual content,brief nudity, some drugmaterial andlanguage.