Kids are Alright, the - Alright Indeed  
| There are 2 things about The Kids Are Alright that blew me out of the water while watching this somewhat awkward (not necessarily a bad thing) film; (1) amazing performances of an entire cast at the top of their game, and (2) one of the most honest portraits of a marriage I've seen on the big screen in a long time.
One of my complaints about movies for so long is how "romance" is always portrayed in movies as being about falling in love. What would be infinitely more interesting are stories about people already in love negotiating the twists and turns of that love through their lifetime. Few films attempt this and it is refreshing when they do. You actually get to see something quite romantic.
In that way The Kids Are Alright broke my heart. The love story of Nic and Jules as they fumble through their marriage felt truthful and the actresses that played them were remarkable in their performances. I have long felt Julianne Moore is the most underrated actor of her generation and here she proves me right once again with a character unlike what she's done before. Benning, also consistently strong is pitch perfect in her character's over the top approach to life. I didn't feel she was chewing scenery as much as she was giving her character the strength to be who she needed to be. The two play off each other so well and you believe you are watching a couple deeply in love amid all their anxieties, mistakes and hassles.
I loved the film's offhand reference to straight women playing lesbians. What a great little pearl of insight.
It's not that Nic and Jules' lives are outlandish or dramatic. Instead the performances allow the mundane-ness and beauty of their relationship to shine. As I said, it feels honest. There is a beautiful shot of Benning's stunning, line filled face as she crumbles in one scene that shocked me. She is gorgeous and real.
The crux of this movie is not about a "gay family", the crux is about what a relationship takes and feels like. Sure the script jumps a bit and feels forced at times but I think that has more to do with how clumsy we can all be in our love lives. Again, we are used to seeing the perfect romantic moment with the swelling music and here we are instead treated to a tale of a long term love.
Ruffalo is also great as the man who realizes all he has missed out on and screws up his attempts to insert himself into a life he can't have. His arc is gorgeously tragic and I felt such sadness for Paul as he sees it all slipping away, despite everything you still felt for him.
And that is so much of the power of the film. The Kids Are Alright manages to accomplish things that most films don't even attempt. Having such a strong cast doing such accomplished work helps as well. These kids are alright and maybe popular cinema can be as well.
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