The Animal Kingdom

A movie like this strikes me as a matter of taste. On one hand, it's slow, talky, and confined strictly to drawing rooms. On the other, it's a story of some substance, as Tom (Howard) must work through common human desires to figure out where happiness lies. In short, should he link up with the sexy Cecilia (Loy) or with the talented Daisy (Harding). Had the screenplay tightened up, varied the staging, and livened things up, the appeal would be stronger. Unfortunately, the lively butler's (Gargan) un-butler antics don't amount to much bouncy relief.

Nonetheless, Loy is drop-dead beautiful and a convincing manipulator, while Harding settles for a secondary and less glamorous role. I still can't decide on Howard—is he miscast or not. On one hand, he's got a bland screen presence, one that works against the pacing. Then too, I'm afraid a livelier mood would have overwhelmed his restrained struggle. On the other hand, he manages considerable subtlety in his portrayal of the conflicted rich man's son.

Overall, viewers not turned off by what amounts to a filmed stage play, may find subtle rewards in this searching 85-minutes. For me, it was mainly a disappointing struggle.