The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009)

In a male-dominated industry like Hollywood, it is refreshing once in a while to watch a movie in which the main character is a woman (Robin Wright). It is additionally rewarding a bonus, if you will -if the director is also a woman (Rebecca Miller, who wrote the story). The result, "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee," is satisfying and remarkable. This film touches you and stays with you.

The story is about Pippa Sarkissian (Wright) who would later become Pippa Lee --, an attractive woman with a troubled past, reaching middle age, who is trying to get her life together. Her mother Suky (the always dependable Maria Bello) was moody and addicted to antidepressants, and was repulsed by Pippa when she was born, because she was hairy. However, this situation improved throughout the years, and Suky got very attached to Pippa. Unfortunately, her mother's problems persisted, and Pippa eventually had to leave home. After some time living carelessly by herself, she finds Herb Lee (Alan Arkin), a man thirty years her senior, who happens to be a successful publisher. They get married and life appears to be good for everyone. That is, until Pippa's past begins haunting her -a situation that is worsened by her current problems.

This is a real life drama, spiked with humor, especially provided by Wynona Ryder, in a surprising supporting role. It examines a woman's life that "keeps swinging back and forth from generation to generation, getting it wrong." Robin Wright shines as Pippa Lee, and Arkin as her husband. The magnificent cast also includes Blake Lively (as Pippa in her younger years) Monica Bellucci, Julianne Moore, Shirley Knight, and Keanu Reeves. The Blu-ray edition includes commentaries by Wright and Miller, and interviews with Wright, Arkin, and Lively. (USA, 2009, color, 98 min plus additional materials)

Reviewed by Eric Gonzales exclusively for on March 1, 2010.

My husband picked up this DVD on a whim, thinking I might like it, and he was right! "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" is a thoughtful, leisurely-paced drama about a woman who though anchored in a stable relationship in the present, is haunted by her turbulent past. Robin Wright Penn plays Pippa Lee, a sort of prim and proper wife to an aging yet indomitable older man, Herb (Alan Arkin). The couple have recently moved to a retirement community, though Herb, who has already suffered previous heart attacks, refuses to buckle down and lead a quiet life. Pippa who is 30 years younger than Herb, tries her utmost to take care of her husband, despite his protestations and suffers from exhaustion, finding herself spacing out, binge eating in the middle of the night (but having no recollections of it later), and finds herself experiencing flashback moments of her younger days.

The movie flows well between the past and the present. We see baby Pippa being initially shunned by her mother Suky (Maria Bello) for being overly hairy as an infant, and how this relationship changes over time. As Pippa grows (the teenage Pippa is played by Gossip Girl's Blake Lively), a close relationship forms between Suky and her daughter, but Suky's own deteriorating mental health and over-dependence on anti-depressants causes a friction in their relationship. Pippa runs away, meeting interesting characters along the way photographer (Julianne Moore), successful publisher Herb (Arkin),co-dependent friend (Winona Ryder in a great supporting role), and a store clerk (Keanu Reeves). Having settled down to a sedate married life, Pippa ponders her life's purpose, and some startling revelations throw her scheduled life off-balance.

Robin Wright delivers a finely nuanced performance, and the excellent supporting cast make this movie an above average viewing experience. There is a great deal of character development, insights, and self-introspection here a woman who has been so driven to care for others (husband, son, daughter), that she has lost her own identity along the way, choosing to 'settle' instead. Will Pippa Lee set herself free? The movie credibly addresses this question and the compelling performances by the lead actress and supporting cast make it a worthwhile watch.

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Screen Media hardly ever puts any money into their BDs (as is the case here again) but Rebecca Miller put together a good story told in a less than simple way.

The story follows the life (if told lineally) of a woman from birth to her rebirth as an older woman (Robin Wright). Along this journey we jump back and forth in her time line as we see the different lives she has led. Mario Bello competently played her drug addled mother, Alan Arkin her much older husband, with some interesting short roles from Monica Belucci and Winona Ryder. The criticism I have read regarding confusion and casting choices to play the same person I can see having some validity, but I enjoyed the challenge of figuring things out while watching this. Keanu is once again picked to play a non-emotional role and he does it fine. The Blu quality is standard at times, above average in others. The vehicle motion scenes are difficult to figure out though, as they chose to film with the windows rolled up in each scene so the resulting reflections are always blurring the scenes really the only shortcoming of the Blu quality. The DTS gets used infrequently and the special feature of interviews from a screening lasts only a few minutes and is forgettable. The commentary was adequate but as admitted by Wright a little awkward to do at times.

You would be getting this for the performances alone, but I do not think there would be any significant disappointment in the BD either. No region coding listed, English and Spanish subs only.

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It took a little while to warm up to Pippa Lee, but that's one of the things that makes this film so magical. We get to watch Pippa come out of the deep freeze and fully into her own being after a life of dissociation. The script is insightful and wonderful. The acting is superb. This film is a real treat.

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My sister and i watched this film, she is married, i am single...and she enjoyed it immensely, while i found it dull and lacking. The movie navigates the liberation of Pippa (confused and frustrated Robin Wright Penn) and has it's moments, though it was depressing and predictable to me.

So, as most adults can relate in some manner to being trapped in a relationship....then find ourselves wondering how we got to this place? The movie draws on this commonality with a dual presentation of young Pippa and present day Pippa....(what a strange name?) Blake Lively does a fair job of playing the youthful Pippa, but there were moments when i was confused with what contribution, and meaning some of the characters had to the overall story...my sister confessed she was also finding it difficult to attach significance and relationship status to some of the actors.

So...Pippa's self reflection through herky jerky glimpses of her past---are a cinematic thrill of finding the puzzle pieces to Penn's character's present day existence. I do believe (IMHO) it is simply a modern day visualization of the imprisoned life of an unactualized woman. In the big picture, women, whose roles have been dynamically changing for decades...we have this passenger of life, Pippa who is stumbling along seeing the light in still frames of her memories. One bummer in the film is that men are not portrayed as very appealing in this movie. Nope, its not going to be a guy movie fave. Alan Arkin is a cad and after seeing all the eddies and currents that Pippa's lifeboat sailed through, i got the distinct impression of cardboard cutouts dreaming of becoming animated, infused with life. Something akin to "The Stepford Wife" seeking to be a "Desperate Housewife" with their joyous abandon and central life characters.

My sister loved this movie, going on about Keanua Reeves as the fantasy, fairy tale ending for a stale, invalid marriage. Pippa finds redemption through a much younger, hunkier, sensitive guy...ahem, is that all there is to life? Cinematography was good, acting was spot on, but the story has been told too many times. Sorry....just not going to make it as a recommendation.

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