My Life

Directed by Bruce Joel Rubin, My Life follows Michael Keaton’s Bob Jones as he prepares for his impending death by recording a series of videos for his unborn child. Filmmaker Rubin, armed with his own screenplay, delivers an erratically-paced yet mostly engaging drama that benefits from the top-tier turn of its star, as Keaton offers up a perpetually engrossing performance that goes a long way towards smoothing over the narrative’s sporadic bumps and lulls – with the actor’s predictably enthralling work matched (and heightened) by Nicole Kidman’s equally affecting efforts as Bob’s sympathetic wife. The movie’s slightly overlong running time, however, does pave the way for a first half that rarely feels as tight (or engrossing) as one might’ve hoped, and it’s clear, ultimately, that My Life becomes more and more absorbing as it progresses – with the almost impressively downbeat (and bleak) third act packing an impressively (and unexpectedly) emotional punch from time to time. (The thoroughly, unabashedly manipulative manner by which Rubin wrings those tears is generally easy enough to overlook, ultimately.) By the time satisfying finale rolls around, My Life has cemented its place as a solid weepie that boasts some seriously compelling work from Keaton.

***1/2 out of ****