'Tully': Funny, Esoteric, and Puzzling

‘Tully’: Funny, Esoteric, and Puzzling

Post author:independentnws
Post published:May 9, 2018
Post category:Columnists / Entertainment / Travel / Movie Reviews
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Marlo (Charlize Theron), a mother of three, suffers another postpartum breakdown in 'Tully.' — Marlo (Charlize Theron), a mother of three, suffers another postpartum breakdown in ‘Tully.’

by Sandra Olmsted

In Tully, the third collaboration between director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody, the dynamic writing/directing duo continues exploring women’s lives and motherhood with a darkly funny, frightening, and insightful look at postpartum depression. Known for Juno (2007) and Young Adult (2011), Reitman and Cody boldly take the audience into the depth of depression alongside Marlo (Charlize Theron), a mother of two, who will deliver her third child any minute.

Endless Diapers and sleepless days and nights along with breast feeding, pumping breast milk, and keeping house for a husband and three children prove too much for Marlo (Charlize Theron) in the funny, esoteric, and puzzling 'Tully.' — Endless Diapers and sleepless days and nights along with breast feeding, pumping breast milk, and keeping house for a husband and three children prove too much for Marlo (Charlize Theron) in the funny, esoteric, and puzzling ‘Tully.’

When she had her last child, Jonah (Asher Miles Fallica), who has some undefined form of autism, Marlo suffered some undefined postpartum breakdown. Out of concern for his sister and her family, Craig (Mark Duplass), gifts Marlo a “night nanny.” Marlo scoffs at Craig and compares the night nanny to all the evil nannies in movies. Once mother and baby arrive home, Marlo stubbornly refuses any help or suggestions which would help her navigate the first few difficult months, alienating her husband, Drew (Ron Livingston). Finally beyond desperate, Marlo relents and calls the night nanny. To Marlo’s delight, Tully (Mackenzie Davis) really is there just to make things better.

Through all the horrifying changes and then Tully’s improvements, Marlo has strange dreams which set the stage for a stunning, third-act twist. Making viewers replaying the film to see the clues they missed is just an extension of Reitman and Cody’s gift for lively plot twists, red herrings, and misdirection. At the same time, Reitman and Cody make Marlo, even at her lowest and most frightening, very human by creating sympathy for her.

Marlo (Charlize Theron) and her husband Drew (Ron Livingston) grow apart in the face of her postpartum breakdown in 'Tully.' — Marlo (Charlize Theron) and her husband Drew (Ron Livingston) grow apart in the face of her postpartum breakdown in ‘Tully.’

Theron, who never fears embracing the darkest characters, delivers a stellar performance as Marlo and overshadows all the other performances even though the rest of the cast also delivers solid performances. The subtext connecting Jonah’s attachment disorder to Marlo’s breakdown after his birth is an interesting one although the link between autism and postpartum depression is yet not universally accepted as fact. Tully, a Focus Features release, is rated R for language and some sexuality/nudity and runs an intense 96 minutes. Tully is in theaters now.