Review: Glenn Close and Mila Kunis breathe life in ‘Four Good Days’

Four Good Days

Four Good Days

In an emotional journey based on a true story by Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post writer Eli Saslow, 31-year-old Molly begs her estranged mother Deb for help fighting a fierce battle against the demons that have derailed her life. Despite all she has learned over a decade of disappointment, grief, and rage, Deb throws herself into one last attempt to save her beloved daughter from the deadly and merciless grip of heroin addiction. Powerhouse performances from Glenn Close and Mila Kunis anchor director Rodrigo García’s poignant and unpredictable chronicle of mother and daughter fighting to regain the love and trust that once held them together.

Four Good Days takes on the devastating ripple effects of addiction. The script is inspired by a Washington Post article by Eli Saslow about a real mother-daughter relationship. This film, outside of addiction, is about the bond between a mother and her child. You can feel the anxiety and anguish from Deb. The small but specific details of a life ruined by a cycle that repeats itself. Behaviors that have become routine; hiding her wallet and keys under her pillow, alarming every door in the house, cell phone monitoring, all habits of defeat and inevitability. So many lives have been destroyed by unchecked prescriptions that easily went awry. As a parent, the line between caretaker and individual is completely blurred. Four Good Days is an honest and raw look at the complexities of it all.

Saslow and director Rodrigo Garcia‘s screenplay doesn’t give Deb a pass. She’s as flawed as the next person. Her backstory reveals a potential trigger for Molly’s addiction woes. The enabling we oftentimes see, the paranoia, and guarded behavior are all on display for Glenn Close to masterfully explore. She gives us a mirror image of her daughter in more ways than you might think. The nuance is captivating.

Mila Kunis is almost unrecognizable as Molly, down the oral prosthetic. She gives a spectacular performance. While the audience settles into the frenzy of Close’s role, Kunis creeps in and snatches the rug from under you. There is never a dull moment behind her eyes and once you finally see the entire picture you realize just how incredible she truly is. It’s something that deserves a repeat viewing. Casting directors, take note when grittier roles come across your desk. Kunis should be on your list.

 Four Good Days brilliantly surpasses cliche to show us humanity in a crisis we’ve come to know all too well. Check out the trailer below for a taste of the film.

Vertical Entertainment will release “Four Good Days” theatrically beginning April 30 and then release it on demand starting May 21.

 

About Liz Whittemore

Liz grew up in northern Connecticut and was memorizing movie dialogue from Shirley Temple to A Nightmare on Elm Street at a very early age. She will watch just about any film all the way through (no matter how bad) just to prove a point. A loyal New Englander, a lover of Hollywood, and true inhabitant of The Big Apple.

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