Who does not love Sam Rockwell? He has given some of the most indelible, darkly comic performances of the last 15 years, in films as diverse as The Green Mile, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Moon. His off-the-wall portrayal of kind-hearted slacker Owen was the quixotic high point of 2013’s sweet, if predictable The Way, Way Back. Although Rockwell is a stellar character actor who relishes drama and comedy, he has never landed an Academy Award nomination.
Well, that could all change with Better Living Through Chemistry, which Samuel Goldwyn just cued up for a March 14 release in the United States. In the dark comedy, Rockwell stars as bored pharmacist Douglas Varney, who begins a sex and drug fuelled affair with customer and trophy wife Elizabeth (Olivia Wilde, living up to her last name). Rounding out the rich ensemble cast is Michelle Monaghan, Ben Schwartz, Ken Howard, Ray Liotta and Jane Fonda.
Olivia Wilde had a really strong 2013, with small but pertinent roles in Her and Rush, while also extending her acting range with a part in the critically acclaimed Drinking Buddies. Although she is 15 years Rockwell’s junior, Wilde is just as riveting an onscreen presence, and watching them fall in and out of love should be a trip worth taking.
In the first photo from the film, seen above, the two actors are sharing smiles but they are not looking at each other, hinting that this will not be a sweet, good-natured romance, but likely one driven by lust and desire. Is the chemistry from the title a reference to the binding love that brings these characters together, the substance abuse they likely partake in or a sly mixture of both?
Better Living Through Chemistry comes from first-time directors Geoff Moore and David Posamentier, who also wrote the script (which was sharp enough to land on the 2009 Black List).
Tell us, are you looking forward to checking this one out?
