The Kids Are All Right (2010)

The rave reviews for The Kids Are All Right are spot on in my opinion. It's a funny, heartwarming, very real movie, and the fact that the couple at the centre of it are 'middle-aged sad sack lesbians' is barely given time to be an issue. Obviously the fact that Julianne Moore and Annette Bening's Jules and Nic are in a long-term same sex relationship does draw comment it doesn't mean the film is about that. Rather it's a movie about a family, who's children, Laser and Joni are growing up and trying to find their way in the world, and how they begin to do this is by contacting their biological, sperm-donating 'father', Paul (Mark Ruffalo).

It's difficult to single out a favourite performance from this outstanding cast, but I've always liked Julianne Moore. Bening is unrecognisable in her short crop and she brings so much to Nic, not least in the stand out, wordless scene when she discovers that Jules and Paul have been sleeping together - the emotions written across her face left me gasping for breath, it was heart-breaking. The relationship between Nic and Jules is wonderfully drawn, the annoying quirks and sweet exchanges make you believe they've been together over a decade

Mark Ruffalo does a great job with Paul, managing to make him sympathetic and rounded, not just a bad guy who sleeps with Jules out of spite or anything other than genuine affection. It's sad to know that he won't be able to keep it up. Josh Hutcherson (Laser) continues to shine as he did in Bridge to Terabithia, although now he's 18 and I can quite happily say he's looking hot, and it's a shame Laser doesn't turn out gay! The scenes when he discovers his moms' gay man porn, and then he's assumed to be gay, are a hoot. Mia Wasikowska, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, is good, though I'm still not sure whether she's intentionally a little bland, but she's not awful by any means.

The Kids... isn't a laugh riot, it's more touching, though there are some very funny moments that come from the characters. As in life, not everything ties up neatly at the film's end, but it's clear that whatever trials this family go through, they are strong enough to survive. And that's a great message, in a movie that isn't about any particular message.