Today’s quick review: Down the Shore. Bailey Euler (James Gandolfini) is the manager of a run-down amusement park on the Jersey Shore. His life changes when Jacques (Edoardo Costa), his French brother-in-law, delivers the news that Bailey’s sister has died of cancer. As Bailey struggles to cope with his loss, his childhood friends Mary (Famke Janssen) and Wiley (Joe Pope) go through the last stage of their failing marriage.
Down the Shore is a drama about three friends trying to make the most of the hand life dealt them. Although they still have each other, Bailey, Mary, and Wiley are still haunted by their past and what might have been. With the help of Jacques, they begin to work through their problems and move on with their lives. Down the Shore aims to be a moving, personal story with a touch of mystery, but it falls far short of its goal.
Down the Shore does a poor job of foregrounding its most interesting events. Nearly everything of note in Bailey, Wiley, and Mary’s lives happened when they were teenagers. With no flashbacks to bring those events to life, the audience is left to imagine them based on the characters’ dialogue. To make matters worse, the movie plays coy with what happened back then, dropping vague hints about secrets the three major characters all already know.
The result is a drama that is hard to invest in. Nearly two-thirds of the movie deals with the quiet desperation of the characters’ daily lives, very gradually building to the reason behind their pain. The payoff, when it comes, is a minor confrontation that is not worth the wait. Down the Shore earns some points for its realistic characters and the makings of a nice mystery, but it fails to weave these elements into a compelling whole.
Down the Shore may be worth a watch for fans of James Gandolfini or Famke Janssen, as well as fans of the down-to-earth side of teh drama genre. The movie does a fair job of capturing the low-stakes struggles of its characters’ lives, and it tinkers with some interesting ideas about abuse and the scars it leaves. But ultimately, Down the Shore has very little to capture the audience’s interest or reward the audience’s investment.
For an imaginative comedy about a man’s attempts to escape his mundane life, try Lars and the Real Girl or The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. For a comedic drama about everyday life, try Sunshine Cleaning. For a darker thriller about the scars from three friends’ childhood, try Mystic River.
[5.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1155060/). I give it a 5.5 for personal drama that never really gets going.