The Upside of Anger Movie Review: By Adam Mast, ZBoneMan.com

The Upside of Anger is a terrific look at that unpredictable emotion - anger. Mostly, however, it’s a movie about great acting.

In this effective drama, Joan Allen (in a career highlight) plays Terry Wolfmeyer, a woman experiencing a mid-life crisis of sorts. Upon learning that her husband has left her, presumably to be with his Swedish secretary, she turns to the bottle for comfort, thus putting an incredible strain on the relationship between she and her four daughters (played by Alicia Witt, Kerri Russell, Erika Christensen and Evan Rachel Wood).

Life takes a funny turn when Denny Davies (played by Kevin Costner), an old friend of her estranged husband, enters the picture adding one more de-stabilizing element to the mix. Denny too appears to find solace in the bottle, and before long, he finds himself smitten with Terry. The relationship proves to be extremely turbulent as both parties have several unresolved issues in their own lives.

Upside of Anger offers up a slice of heightened dysfunctional reality in the same sort of way American Beauty did. And like that particular picture, this one benefits from outstanding performances and an interesting, if a tad offbeat,
screenplay.

Allen is stellar as a bitter, middle aged woman who can’t seem to hold back the anger she harbors towards something that is pretty much out of her control. Instead of moving forward and gaining strength from the healthy relationships she has with her daughters, she lets her volatile emotions get the best of her. This is a great performance, and Allen deserves to be remembered come Oscar time. Even the scenes in which the alcohol takes her over, are handled in a realistic manner. This could have easily turned into a stereotypical lush turn, but Allen is so graceful, so effective, that she never allows that to happen. Costner turns in one of the best performances of his career as an ex-baseball player (marking the fourth time he’s paid homage to America’s favorite pastime in a movie) trying to put his life back together. Costner is extremely light on his toes in this part, and he adds an amusing, affable vibe to the role.

The Upside of Anger was written and directed by Mike Binder (HBO’s The Mind of a Married Man), and the film maker does an excellent job meshing real drama with a healthy dose of the eccentric. What’s more, Binder even plays a role in the picture - that of a sleazy radio show manager, who romances one of Terry’s daughters. It’s an amusing turn, even if Binder is unable to muster up the charm and likability that Thomas Haden Church brought to a similar role in Sideways.

I really loved this movie. In particular, I admired the direction the film takes in the final act. There is a most unexpected twist that sort of paints the entire movie in a new light. Like Allen’s character, we the audience question what this woman has been feeling and why. And while this twist abruptly changes the tone of The Upside of Anger, it hardly feels gimmicky. And in fact, we come to find that this twist has really been driving the film and is ultimately what it’s really all about.

The Upside of Anger is quirky to be sure, and though it isn’t always necessarily grounded in reality, it’s never dull, and the performances are so good, that the movie is taken to a higher level as a result. If you admire and enjoy films like American Beauty, this picture is for you.

Grade: B+

Adam Mast, ZBoneMan.com