TIFF review: fest opener Nutcrackers offers few surprises

TIFF likely programmed Nutcrackers (Rating: ✭✭✭) as its opening film because of its crowd-pleasing potential. But judging from the number of walkouts at the press and industry screening I caught this morning, it won’t be up for any awards. Besides, it’s the sort of film you’ve seen before.

After his sister and brother-in-law die in a car accident, Chicago-based real estate developer Michael (Ben Stiller) travels to their home in rural Ohio to sign some papers. No sooner has he entered their cluttered home, however, than he’s tasked with finding foster homes for his four nephews, who greet him by pelting him with objects and refusing to speak. He couldn’t possibly father these orphans himself, right? Not with his high-pressure job, fancy sports car and commitment issues. D’uh.

Director David Gordon Green and screenwriter Leland Douglas take us through the predictable beats of the fish-out-of-water movie, with lots of embarrassing uncle scenes — many involving animals — and the occasional bit of sentimentality. The only originality comes from the fact that Michael’s unseen sister was a dancer and ran a ballet studio in town; each of her boys, but especially the eldest, is a gifted dancer.

Combine that with the title and the fact that the film begins three weeks before Christmas, and it’s all as familiar as the seasonal Tchaikovsky score. Still, the filmmakers underplay a burgeoning possible romance between Michael and Linda Cardellini’s child services rep. And there’s a refreshing critique of traditional notions of masculinity in America’s heartland.

For most of the film, Stiller lacks a significant scene partner, but he gamely soldiers on. While not the most gifted actors, his nephews are played by actual siblings, and that goes a long way in making their interactions and vocal rhythms feel authentic.

The film stops just short of becoming a Hallmark movie. And that, I suppose, is something.