House of D: Movie & DVD Review (2005)

(Originally published 2005)

A sugar shack of sweet intentions that should have been condemned.

From first-time writer-director David Duchovny, "House of D" is a coming-of-age story that plunges into a sea of sentiment and meets its share of sharks--audiences and critics chief among them--all of whom likely hoped for a shade better than this from the otherwise talented Duchovny.

Told in a string of loopy flashbacks, the film follows the life of Tom Warshaw (Duchovny), an American artist who moved to Paris to escape a childhood filled with pain and tragedy.

Now, as his son nears his 13th birthday, Tom is reminded of his own years during that period, which unfortunately involve Robin Williams in one of those roles that tend to be played by Robin Williams. Here, he's Pappass, a mentally challenged janitor whose one aim it is to go for your heart and then to break it. He tries like hell, but he doesn't succeed.

With Duchovny's wife, Tea Leoni, in a co-starring role as Tom's chain-smoking mother, "The House of D" exists on the surface, with the some of the scenes so heavy and fraught with meaning, they create ruts.

Grade: D