**THE UGLY: ‘WHAT THEY HAD'**

WRITING: 75
ACTING: 85
LOOK: 60
SOUND: 60
FEEL: 70
NOVELTY: 40
ENJOYMENT: 65
RE-WATCHABILITY: 65
INTRIGUE: 70
EXPECTATIONS: 70

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**The Good:**

At first glance, this cast doesn't seem like the most obvious choice to portray a dysfunctional family, but the longer you watch this film, the more you come to realise how well they play together.

Hilary Swank and Michael Shannon stand out as the siblings at the centre. It's a joy to watch the two of them go at each other. Robert Forster completes the trio as their hot-headed father.

I don't think I've eve seen Hilary Swank on fire like this.

The internal family problems, the growth in the tension between the parents and the children and the difficulties of accepting tough situations are at the forefront all the time, and the script doesn't lose its focus on these subjects.

The film doesn't try to be something that it clearly isn’t. It's very much grounded in reality and depicts problems with family, illness and old age realistically.

The emotional investment is strong without going overboard.

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**The Bad:**

After the initial set-up, the film struggles to find its footing and floats in some kind of narrative limbo while it figures kit what to do with the characters and the plot details.

This film lacks that little extra - the dramatic tension, the movie magic - that would make it truly engaging. The only time it stands out now is during scenes between Shannon and Swank.

The story runs out of juice towards the end, leaving the final third feeling somewhat dragged out.

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**The Ugly:**

Everybody has to learn to let go from time to time.

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**VERDICT:**

_A star-struck family drama that feels grounded and engaging at times, but doesn’t have enough content to remain interesting until the end._

**60% = :heavy_minus_sign: = UGLY**