gregorybnyc A wealthy family gathers for a final summer weekend at their beautiful stone home on Lake Tahoe. Mom (played with her patented elegant glow by Patricia Clarkson) and Dad have decided to sell. Things are not boding well for this family gathering. One son has been fired from his job with a financial firm over an expensive clerical error. He arrives in a bad mood and everyone puts up with his insufferable, whiny behavior. The other son, who is gay and works in the film industry, has brought a friend with whom he is forming an attachment that doesn't quite feel like a relationship, and invited a female movie star friend. He is simply embarrassed by his mother's shallow, acquisitive behavior (at one point, Mama plunks down a considerable amount of money on artsy farmer's market things). Nobody is connecting in this family. Mom is a snob. Dad is remote. The kids bicker and look awkward. Throughout the first two-thirds of the film, I wanted to strangle Mom and the kids. But the skill of the actors are what keeps you watching. When there is some sort of sea change in the family, they become a little more likable. But I'm never quite sure why. At the end of the weekend, the son doesn't tell his mother about his work woes, and she doesn't tell either son that she's planning to sell their beloved summer home (though there is some doubt that this will actually happen). I suppose the family games will continue. This is a very well-made film with a strong cast, goo direction, excellent sets, good camera work. Did we need to have the trio from Mozart's COSI FAN TUTTE yet again (this has to be the fourth time I've heard it used on a soundtrack). The film's faults can be directed at a very weak screenplay. I'm not looking for a tidy denouement, but I do rather insist that things make at least a little sense.

jordandaines I really enjoyed this film. It gracefully portrayed a very real family dynamic set within self aware and humorous class commentary. Patricia Clarkson gave the perfect performance as a mother coming to terms with a new chapter in her life while absurdly fighting it along the way. She plays a character I can definitely relate to. A hybrid of my grandmother and mother-in-law. As a mother of young children, I can see myself having the same feelings when my children become adults.The acting is wonderful, the scenery and photography are beautiful. It is equal parts bitter and sweet with bits of comedy interspersed. Loved it.

maybakir Fantastic film. Demonstrates the sacrifice one does for their family. Failure is greater when disappointing ones family. Touches on the strength a partner must have for their husband/wife during difficult times, and how patience and endurance (something too many people give up on) is worth it. Some may focus on the wealth the family has, but then they have missed the entire point behind the story line. I am not a mother, but related to Clarkson's character through my mother and how she has sacrificed for the family while being the bond that hold everyone together. Beautifully written. Honest.

Abdi Nazemian Last Weekend is a poignant and moving meditation of family, loss, and change. Patricia Clarkson leads a magnificent ensemble with her raw performance. She is a brilliant actress, but gets far too few leading roles. Here, she is the heart of the film as a mother confronting the passage of time, and the rest of the cast match her nuanced intensity brilliantly, with especially great turns by up-and-comers Zachary Booth, Joseph Cross, and Devon Graye. The film's directors maintain a tone of quiet longing throughout, and the film is beautiful to look at (Lake Tahoe has never looked better), but look beneath its shimmering surface and you will find a compassionate look at the difficult bonds of family. Stunning.