Parents' Guide to Every Thing Will Be Fine

Wim Wenders' forgettable drama features a robotic lead performance by Franco, who looks as utterly bored by the material as the audience will be throughout this misguided, disappointing film. There's barely a scene when Tomas looks animated by anything -- grief, anger, love, resignation, happiness. We know what he's supposed to be feeling, but Franco just misses conveying it, either because the writing is off or because his performance is so wooden that he couldn't bother to properly emote -- something we all know he can actually do (when he wants to).

The trio of female supporting characters don't get off much better, because they don't have much to do. McAdams affects a strange, unidentifiable accent as Sara, Tomas' initial girlfriend. Gainsbourg once again plays a grieving mother who's hollowed out by her grief. And Croze's Ann knows something is going on with Tomas, but she's also thrilled to have a stepfather for Mina, her daughter. Unfortunately, Wenders doesn't manage to coax a single outstanding performance from a fine cast. Not only does this drama drag on at two minutes shy of two hours, but it doesn't have much to say, either.