Who We Are Now (2017)

(On Cable TV, May 2021) Golly gee, Who We Are Now is such a boring film. I’m obviously speaking for myself here — I’m sure that other people will find far more resonance in this tale of a troubled single ex-con trying to regain custody of her child. But writer/director Matthew Newton’s approach is decidedly gritty and low-key — so much so that it doesn’t take much time to start eyeing the exit. Our main character is a deeply flawed and self-destructive person — fresh out of prison, romancing a veteran for dubious reasons, and not always able to demonstrate why she should get custody of her daughter back from her more stable sister. Of course, the deck is stacked in her favour — Who We Are Now is a mainstream American movie, and it just wouldn’t do to suggest that she’s not the best person for the task… even when she acts in ways that most people (outside the frame of a movie in which she is the protagonist) would find unacceptable. This being said, Julianne Nicholson is not bad as the flawed protagonist, Emma Roberts distinguishes herself as a very idealistic lawyer (under the sometimes-rough tutelage of a mentor played by Jimmy Smith) and the film wraps up in a way that may be conventional and predictable but not actively irritating to audiences willing to stick through the entire journey. This being said, there are far more distinctive and memorable films out there, even in the straight-up dramatic genre. Who We Are Now is about as generic as its title, and a chore to get through.