Andrew Baron-Vartian

Tully is the most authentic and honest representation of the trails of motherhood captured by film. It’s truly groundbreaking in that sense. Gone are the glorifications of children and the preciousness of their moments. As Tully opens we are thrust right into the middle of this chaotic real-life world representation of a family in desperate need of stability. Between dealing with an absent husband, a child with special needs and the impending birth of her third child, Charlize Theron’s Marlo is looking for life to grant her a little help, and in one way it does.

Diablo Cody’s excellent script and Jason Reitman’s steady and humble direction brings us Mackenzie Davis’ Tully, a night nanny hired to help Marlo sleep through the evenings. The chemistry between these two actors is special thing to witness. In every frame you can feel their curiosity/tension grow. The more they learn about each other, the more we begin to notice a strong melancholic atmosphere, this is due to Charlize Theron’s sensational performance. She’s been great before but this is my favorite turn by her. The only issue I had with Tully is within the final scenes; I wish we had spent much more time developing Marlo’s husband’s character throughout to make the ending feel more earned. Either way, this is a perfect Mother’s Day alternative to the Hollywood shlock you might normally see. I sincerely hope this movie is not forgotten by the time awards season comes around.

Writing: 9/10

Direction: 9/10

Cinematography: 8/10

Acting: 10/10

Editing: 8/10

Sound: 7/10

Score/Soundtrack: 9/10

Production Design: 8/10

Casting: 9/10

Effects: 8/10

Overall Score: 8.5/10