Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
During a snowy winter in the small fictional town of Knight's Ridge, Massachusetts, a group of lifelong buddies hang out, drink and struggle to connect with the women who affect their decisions, dreams and desires.
Beautiful Girls is a warm, well-acted ensemble piece anchored by strong performances from Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, and a breakout Natalie Portman. The film's character work and naturalistic dialogue elevate familiar coming-of-age-at-30 material. However, the plot meanders without strong narrative momentum and the ending feels somewhat inconclusive and unsatisfying — characters don't resolve their issues so much as drift back to the status quo. Cinematography is competent winter-in-New-England atmosphere but unremarkable. Novelty is moderate: the film has a distinctive ensemble voice and Ted Demme's light touch, but the premise of hometown reunion and arrested development is well-trodden territory.