By GABRIELLA BOCK | Reporter
It’s the summer of 1959 in the idyllic, northeastern town of “Suburbicon.”
Sitting atop a succession of perfectly manicured lawns are rows of pristine catalog homes, occupied by keen and conservative nuclear families.
But when an African-American family moves to Suburbicon, this once blissful—aka starkly Caucasian—neighborhood begins to unravel, exposing the darkness that lurks beneath even the most buttoned-up individuals.
Such a man is Gardner Lodge—played by Palisadian Matt Damon—whose American dream warps into a living nightmare after a home invasion gone awry claims the life of his wife, played by Julianne Moore.
Rattled by the community’s recent and very first murder, the townsfolk—headed by a grieving and conceivably paranoid Lodge—begin forging a trail of persecution, which (of course) leads directly to their vulnerable new neighbors.
Originally presumed to be an Oscar shoo-in, this George Clooney directed/Coen Brothers written film has surprisingly received lukewarm reviews from critics, some claiming that the comedic crime thriller lacks both the laughs and the depth to make a white comedy about racism work in a political climate already marred by such questionable intentions.
If it’s Damon in dreamland you desire, Alexander Payne’s upcoming “Downsizing” may prove to be more satisfying—the social satire about an environmentally conscious couple who shrink themselves down to four inches tall hits theaters this holiday season.
And for those willing to overlook the critical consensus—or those who just never miss a Coen Brothers flick—can catch “Suburbicon” in theaters on Oct. 27.
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