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Things We Lost In The Fire (2007) DVD Review
Things We Lost In The Fire (2007) DVD Credits:
Things We Lost In The Fire (2007) Directed by:
Susanne Bier
Things We Lost In The Fire (2007) Written by:
Allan Loeb
Things We Lost In The Fire (2007) Cast:
Halle Berry, Benicio Del Toro, David Duchovny, Alison Lohman
Things We Lost In The Fire (2007) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
Things We Lost In The Fire (2007) DVD Release Date:
4th March 2008
Our Rating: Extras Rating:

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Things We Lost In The Fire (2007) Synopsis:

The movie will tell the story of a woman (Berry) whose husband suddenly dies. She invites her husband's troubled best friend (Del Toro) to live with her family, and as the friend turns his life around, he helps the grief-stricken family confront their loss.

Things We Lost In The Fire (2007) DVD Review:

Things We Lost in the Fire deals with some very heavy issues head-on, but by focusing on two very different types of suffering we are given a jarring journey into suffering. If it weren’t for the subtle performances peppered around Benicio Del Toro’s remarkable portrayal of a heroin addict, Things We Lost in the Fire may have quickly become obvious and forced. Even with these great performances there are moments which seem dangerously contrived, and melodrama never needed. Much of the film becomes a series of moments, some great and others easily dismissible. It is a shame that there is not much consistency throughout the film, but a joy that there are so many wonderful moments within the contrived. We learn a great deal about the life of a man (played by David Duchovny) after he has died, and one of the things he is quoted to have said frequently is “accept the good”, and although the conclusion, “with the bad” is left off of this saying, I was more than willing to do just that while watching Things We Lost in the Fire.

This makes a great deal more sense with more information about the film, which is about a small group of family and friends dealing with the random death of a friend. Audrey (Halle Berry) has just lost her husband in a freak accident that further enforces the belief that he was a great man. Another believer in this is his long-time friend, Jerry (Del Toro), who has led a rough life which has led to pain and a heroine addiction. This never prevented him from receiving visits from his old friend, who he deeply admires and misses. Soon after her husband’s death Audrey impulsively invites Jerry to live in the garage which has been recently remodeled after the fire from the title. Jerry takes this responsibility seriously, kicking the drugs and falling into the routine his recently departed friend had. He takes a morning run with the neighbor, plays with the kids, and is even asked to help Audrey in falling asleep by having Jerry perform the ritual usually done by her husband.

Just as much as Jerry seems to be needed in helping Audrey and her two children deal with the loss of a family member, they help him just as much. Although eventually this is a physical display of help where the drugs are concerned, the more significant and poignant help seems to come from the simple fact that they need him. Jerry is so improved by the act of having people rely on him that he even claims his friend’s children as his own. Being needed gives him a reason to stay off of the drugs. In other words, he needs to be needed as much as they need to have him around. This process of healing through mutual dependency would be beautiful and powerful enough on its own, but there are issues of attraction raised between Jerry and Audrey, as well as another romantic possibility with a young girl in Jerry’s Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Jerry doesn’t speak much in the film, so we don’t have a clear understanding what he is feeling about either of these women, and for that reason I was left feeling that it may have been better to even raise the question in my mind.

The deleted scenes are kept relatively bare. There is a featurette, which is essentially just a conversation about the film. There are also 7 deleted scenes.

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Things We Lost In The Fire (2007) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

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