Arthur Miller: Writer

There's a certain way that people are perceived by others. Some are viewed by their personalities while others know them for how they behaved behind closed doors. But one thing that tends to persist is how one person is portrayed by their own family.

Rebecca Miller's Arthur Miller: Writer depicts the famed playwright as how he was in the comfort of his own home. Using footage from previous attempts at making a documentary, Miller captures her father not as someone filled with anger (like many of his plays are) but rather as a human being.

Miller chronicles her father's early life of privilege (before the Great Depression struck), showing how such an upbringing actually kept him humble in later life. Of course moments where he's thrown into the public eye (the House Un-American Activities Committee and his marriage to Marilyn Monroe) put a strain on his otherwise private lifestyle. Regardless of the circumstances he was in, he remained modest.

But that's not to say he was perfect, far from it. Despite his initial success with All My Sons and Death of a Salesman, his plays (The Crucible and A View from the Bridge aside) never really seemed to connect with their audiences. (The critical reaction to After the Fall was beyond scathing.) But apparently to him, positive reception to his work wasn't of immense interest to him; he just wanted to have his voice heard.

Arthur Miller: Writer shows the dramatist as the very thing his works' main theme was: human. Miller encapsulates her father not as one of the most acclaimed writers of the last century but instead as the average American citizen. Sure, there's a sentimentality to the project but hey, it is essentially a daughter remembering a departed family member.

My Rating: ****1/2

Maggie's Plan

You know how sometimes the offspring of famous people share similar talents with their parents? The child of an actor might pursue the same roles that made their parent famous. Politics tend to span for more than one generation. And athletes might watch their kids follow their footsteps.

One recent example of this involves Rebecca Miller, the daughter of acclaimed playwright Arthur Miller. As her film The Ballad of Jack and Rose showed back in 2005, she was capable of creating dynamic characters like her father. But how well has she fared with her latest film Maggie's Plan?

In familiar territory for her (almost to the point of typecasting by now), Maggie's Plan stars Greta Gerwig as a woman who's gaining a sense of direction in her life. Much like her collaborations with Noah Baumbach, Gerwig adds a sense of screwball to her character (thankfully not to "manic pixie dream girl" levels). Though it's probably high time she gets an against type role.

Also in Maggie's Plan are Ethan Hawke (who's been on a roll so far this year), Julianne Moore (who should probably invest in a better dialect coach), Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph (who provide comic relief) and Travis Fimmel (who provides an innocent nature). Clearly Miller knew which actors to get.

Maggie's Plan is definite proof that Miller is her father's child. With the film's focused writing and multi-layered characters, it shows she learned a trick or two from her playwright father. Hopefully she'll keep up the good work.

My Rating: ****1/2

The Ballad of Jack and Rose

Rebecca Miller's The Ballad of Jack and Rose is different from the many eclectic titles of 2005. Rather than being a film boasting of its importance, it's a much more quieter title.

The film stars Miller's husband Daniel Day-Lewis as Jack Slavin, which is one of his more underrated performances. It's hard to say why that is. Maybe it's because it's a different role from some of his more famous performances. (My theory is because this was made between Gangs of New York and There Will Be Blood.)

However, the star of The Ballad of Jack and Rose is Camilla Belle. (She plays Rose.) The way she views the world she inhabits is mystifying. So does the way she interacts with the people around her. I hope to see more of her.

It may sound odd, but this particular film reminded me of Beasts of the Southern Wild. Both films revolve around a father, his daughter and the small world they've created for themselves. In fact, that would make for an interesting double feature.

The Ballad of Jack and Rose is actually a quite fascinating little film. Day-Lewis, as per usual, is great. The supporting cast is also very good. But this show belongs to Day-Lewis and Belle. Oh, and be sure to check this out.

My Rating: *****