Good afternoon, House of Madness tenants:
We all have that one 'friend' that just doesn't know quite when to shut their yap, right? You're at a house party and before you know it, you're stuck in a never ending conversation about the weather and its effect on untreated lumber. Ringing a bell? The person that goes from person to person spewing nonsense about their travels to Tuscany because they heard someone raving about their trip to Greece, and has to one-up them with their details of life's adventures. Still no? OK, every single person on the planet has that one acquaintance who you see coming, and warn everyone else not to ask any questions, lest you be cast into the pit of eternal useless knowledge. Suffice to say, I've met every single one of these people in one form or another, and "Separation" proves that someone can be all three at once.
Jeff (Rupert Friend) and his wife Maggie (Mamie Gummer) are going through a very rough patch in their marriage. For years Jeff has been riding his own coattails of success from a comic strip him and Maggie developed together, but the last few years have been trying, and Jeff is basically sponging off of his wife and father-in-law's money. What Jeff considers working and looking after their daughter Jenny (Violet McGraw) with help from their nanny Sam (Madeline Brewer) every day, Maggie views more as him sitting around doing nothing while she busts her ass and brings home the bacon. Unfortunately for the film, neither character are overly likable, so when they announce they're getting divorced and Maggie is subsequently killed by a hit-and-run driver, nobody really gives a shit from an audience perspective, mainly because she was an insufferable bitch from the film's inception.
After Maggie's death, Jenny begins acting different and is constantly running to her dad in the middle of the night complaining of a monster in her room. Over and over we're subjected to visions and episodes of an entity constantly getting closer and closer to Jenny, but instead of dread and fear, the monotonous tone and pace of the film leaves us feeling bored and unattached to the story and the characters within. Several scenes leave a feeling of deja-vu simply because the film repeats itself over and over as if trying to drill home a narrative that isn't working, and once the film delivers a ridiculous 'twist' towards the end, we've already mentally checked out and couldn't care less about their unnecessary plot spin.
All in all, "Separation" is a long, boring mess that wears out its welcome almost immediately after stepping on the mat, and doesn't have the decency to wipe its feet. With hollow characters, ridiculous dialog (the food ordering scene still makes me cringe), and a less than interesting story, I will say that this film lives up to its name, and you should stay far away from it before things get really ugly.
Madness Meter: 3.9/10
NB
