In the Land of Women

In the Land of Women marks the directorial debut of Jonathan Kasdan (son of Lawrence and brother of Jake), and while the movie is littered with precisely the sort of problems one generally associates with a first effort, the filmmaker does a nice job of infusing the proceedings with just enough authenticity and heart to maintain the viewer’s continued interest. Adam Brody stars as Carter Webb, a struggling writer who decides to move in with his grandmother after a particularly painful break-up and consequently winds up befriending two of his neighbors (Meg Ryan’s Sarah and Kristen Stewart’s Lucy). It’s clear that In the Land of Women works best in its first act, as Kasdan effectively places the emphasis on Carter’s soul-searching endeavors – with such antics undoubtedly heightened by Brody’s surprisingly layered, emotional performance. Yet there comes a point at which Kasdan starts starts to lose his focus; the inevitable inclusion of several needless elements, including some egregiously quirky supporting characters and a number of fairly pointless subplots, ultimately lends the movie a lamentably uneven vibe. Still, it’s hard to fault Kasdan for his ambition and there’s certainly no denying that In the Land of Women stands as an above-average debut from an exceedingly promising filmmaker.

**1/2 out of ****