Funny, engaging and at times emotional, The Meddler is an extremely entertaining comedy-drama that stars Susan Sarandon as a meddling mother who drives her daughter (Rose Byrne) batty but brightens the lives of everyone else around her (i.e. she’s like most normal moms–annoying as hell at times to you, but not to anyone else).
Sarandon plays Marnie, a well-off woman whose approach to dealing with the loss of her husband two years earlier is to focus on the lives of everyone else–especially her daughter’s. But when her daughter has to go to New York for business, Marnie is left to her own devices–and forced to confront her grief.
The Meddler is surprisingly funny, largely thanks to Sarandon’s stellar performance and a solid screenplay by writer/director Lorene Scafaria. It’s a movie that on the surface appears to cater primarily to women and older audiences, but the film is shockingly accessible.
The movie is smart, well made and highly entertaining; while it goes on a few minutes too long, it largely hits all the right notes. Highly recommended.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.