Review: Nothing regal about unpleasant ‘The Lears’
Though based on “King Lear,” this indie film couldn’t be further from Shakespeare. “The Lears” is a witlessly profane attempt at dark comedy that is beneath the talents of everyone on screen.
Bruce Dern makes a glorified cameo as Davenport Lear, the aging patriarch of four grown children (Anthony Michael Hall, Aly Michalka, Nic Bishop and James Hoare) as well as an architectural empire. He invites them to his Malibu estate, where they hope he’ll reveal how he’ll pass on his power and fortune.
Director Carl Bessai’s script largely consists of characters cursing at one another and then trying to get each other into bed, despite the fact that most of them are related. “The Lears” is an unpleasant film about unpleasant people, and reading the Wikipedia summary of the original play would be a better use of time.
-------------
‘The Lears’
Not rated
Running time: 1 hour, 39 minutes
Playing: Galaxy Mission Grove, Riverside
See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour »
Movie Trailers
Only good movies
Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
