This Is Where I Leave You | 3/5

SINGAPORE — You’re probably thinking that the ensemble funeral dramedy, a sub-genre that Hollywood seems to favour recently, is now looking a little fusty and overplayed. After all, we had John Wells’ perfect-for-stage-but-not-for-screen shouty August Osage County last year. That particular film’s overall treatment and presentation did not do justice to its stellar hardworking cast — and This Is Where I Leave You does the same.

Expectations are obviously high with A-listers Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Adam Driver, Timothy Olyphant, Corey Stoll and Connie Britton coming together in this adaptation of Jonathan Tropper’s bestselling novel about a dysfunctional family reunited by the father’s death. For the most part, the power of their combined efforts carries the film along. But great performances and chemistry (extra shout-out to Jane Fonda) alone are not enough to lift the somewhat lackluster pacing of director Shawn Levy’s latest film above being merely average.

It’s essentially a languorous muted version of August Osage County and the lack of stomping and over-the-top melodramatic screaming actually makes this feel more “realistic” — which works when you’re dealing with a laundry list of sobering themes like religion, family dysfunction, sexuality, life, love and betrayal.

But we’re in the cinema, after all, and it would be nice to see the film do a little bit more to rise above the trappings of its own sub-genre and not be afraid to fully embrace the droll repartee and laugh-out-loud moments that it hints at. We say, pick up that pace because it would certainly make for a more entertaining ride.

(M18,104mins)