Um Domingo de Chuva

"Like Sunday, Like Rain" (2014 release; 105 min.) brings the story of Eleanor and Reggie. As the movie opens, we see Reggie wake up and start his day. Reggie is a 12 yr. old wunderkind who plays the cello and is a math-whiz, but he's also living a pretty lonely existence even if in a well-to-do environment. His mom is having a fit because the live-in nanny just quit (or was forced to leave the country because of her visa). In a parallel story, we also get to know Eleanor, in her early 20s. She also just woke up, realizing her boyfriend never came home the night before. It's not long before Eleanor breaks up and moves out, and in a subsequent confrontation by her ex-boyfriend at her work, she is fired from her waitressing job. In desperation, Eleanor goes to a temp agency for nannies, and as luck would have it, she is hired as the new live-in nanny for Reggie. As this point we're not even 15 min. into the movie but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the latest movie written and directed by actor Frank Whaley. This time he chooses to bring the story of an unlikely but blossoming friendship between Reggie and Eleanor. Reggie needs Eleanor just as much as she needs him, in fact she may need Reggie more, as she is down on her luck, with an annoying boyfriend, an ailing father and a strained relationship with the rest of her family. Beware: this movie is not for anyone in a hurry, and there is no major plot to speak of, so if you don't like a movie where there's lot of talking and little or no action, do yourself a favor and watch something else. It is a darn shame that this movie is rated "R" (the F word is used twice, and it wasn't even necessary and didn't make the movie any more "authentic"), as a key potential audience (the 14 to 17 yr. old) is probably not going to get to see this now. As to the acting performances, both leads (Leighton Meester as Elanor and Julian Shatkin as Reggie) give stellar performances and I hope we'll see more of them in due course. However, Billie Joe Armstrong (yes, he of Green Day) is completely miscast as Eleanor's boyfriend (for one, he is WAY too old, and for another, his acting skills are lacking). Also, there is a fair amount of classical music in the movie, so if that's not your thing, beware. I quite liked the classical segments, and the overall musical score, courtesy of Ed Hardcourt. Bottom line: not knowing much of anything about this movie before seeing it, I was pleasantly surprised by this and charmed from start to finish.

This movie was shot in New York 2 years ago, and shown at various film festivals last year. Why it's taken this long to appear in the theaters, I have no idea. I recently saw this at the Silverspot Cinema in Naples, FL. The matinée screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great. If you are ready for something other than the usual "Furious 7" or "Ant-Man" fare that Hollywood is sending our way, this movie might just do the trick for you. "Like Sunday, Like Rain" is definitely worth checking out, be it in the theater or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray.

When Brooklyn waitress Eleanor has a sudden break-up with her fractious boyfriend, she needs a new job and roof over her head as soon as possible. She lucks out finding a position as live-in nanny to precocious, privileged Reggie who lives in a luxurious apartment on the upper west side of NYC. Both characters deal with their dysfunctional family backgrounds by maintaining reserved exteriors, and this unusual small-scale film portrays the developing relationship between a blue-collar young woman and the neglected twelve year old.

The story begins slowly and continues at a leisurely pace throughout. Although nothing very dramatic occurs, their bond gradually deepens as they spend time with one another and discover a common interest in music. Leighton Meester and Julian Shatkin give nicely observed performances in the lead roles, but the script doesn't give them anywhere especially interesting to go, although there are some emotional ripples when Reggie accompanies Eleanor back to her upstate home due to a family crisis. Their story eventually arrives at an understated conclusion.

Julian Shatkin did quite well playing a preteen savant named Reggie, considering his age, but writer/director, Frank Whaley, let him down. The role would have been more believable had Whaley given him a wider emotional range (and, in my view, it's the director's job to coax the writer into writing each character equally well - funny that the director did not have that conversation with himself as the writer!). From the start of the movie, the boy's isolation is palpable as his mother plans to leave him on travels. (Debra Messing plays her well, but the part is limited and is only consequential in that it shows how emotionally deprived Reggie was.) He "snaps" at his friend at one point, as he put it, but compared to the frustrations of dealing with adults and children who rarely understand him or his choices, there was not enough emotion, particularly not enough anger. I feel his character loses a certain amount of aliveness because of it.

In great contrast, Whaley was able to figure out Eleanor's (the nanny's) emotions, and Leighton Meester was in turn able to play those emotions brilliantly.

After the movie ended, I attempted to flash back to moments where Leighton had not played her role authentically, and could not find any such moment. That's how great her acting is. The fierceness of her initial confrontation with her boyfriend was placed into context by our understanding of her family that followed. A beautiful young woman emerges from the initial mess, and we quickly find that she possesses advanced maternal instincts toward Reggie, supporting him exactly as he is, with all his awkward brilliance, even as he bends her to his wishes along the way. Her character is no pushover and she has her own plans, caring for her own soul as well.

Overall, the film is well worth watching, as it will move you, and you may even understand what children need a bit better. They need love. Leighton Meester clearly has that love in her, and her performance is a credit both to her and to Whaley. Yes, both actress and writer/director got Eleanor exactly right.

10/10 Masterpiece. Some are calling this melancholy, but I think bittersweet is a better word. Above all, it's a story about a 12 year-old music prodigy being played by a c. 12 year-old acting prodigy. As good as child acting has gotten, few if any could have pulled this off as well. What's the significance of 12? It's that age where you're as mature as you're going to get before the onset of puberty. But what if your emotional maturity and profound awareness outstrip your physical growth? It's about resigning yourself to your solitude, until.... The result is a bittersweet gulf between two otherwise kindred souls. This isn't about dramatic friction, it's about something distinctive, enigmatic and fleeting. It's like playing a beautiful tune on a cello in an empty swimming pool with good acoustics. It's like Sunday, like rain.

Maybe the best "child" performance ever.

This is such a beautiful simple movie , i loved every second of it and i really didn't want it to end. the casting is amazing that little boy is really talented and Leighton Messter is one of the best actresses out there. It's a must see movie. The movie will keep you absorbed and interested until the end even though it is really slow pased. It is also beautifully written the script was amazing it was like wise poetry in some way. this movie goes straight to my all time favourites and i will be rewatching it as soon as i can. the main soundtrack "like Sunday like Rain" is also amazing such beautiful sad music that goes perfectly with the kid's and the Nanny's current situation. absolutely beautiful.