Film Review: A FAMILY AFFAIR

Actress Joey King is a joy to behold even when she's freaking out.

Now streaming on Netflix, A Family Affair is much better on film than it sounds on paper.  So I won't bore you with a scene-by-scene recap of the plot, which is what most professional film critics do and somehow get paid for doing it. Instead I'll tell you why you should watch it despite -- if you're anything like me -- not wanting to.

It stars Zac Efron, a pretty-boy actor I have never paid any attention to mainly because he's just too handsome in a teeny-bopper kind of way. The other leads are actors I respect, including Kathy Bates, Nicole Kidman and relative young newcomer Joey King. With my husband away I thought I'd give it a try, since I would never dare ask him to watch what sounds like a typical Christmastime rom-com. 

It's not. Instead, it's a complex, heart-stirring and down-to-earth drama about a few lost people trying to find their way, each hoping to make a human connection to feel less alone. It all takes place in the context of Hollywood movie-making and very rich people living the good life, which as fas as I'm concerned is lots of fun to wallow in. 

A zany plot actually works here. Chris Cole (Efron) is a huge Hollywood star and Zara (King) is his tireless, go-fer assistant spending her days fulfilling his selfish requests in hope of advancing her career as a movie producer. Through happenstance he meets Brooke (Kidman), Zara's mother 16 years his senior. They fall in lust, then they fall in love, much to the dismay of Zara who is afraid her mother will get hurt, Chris being a well-known serial womanizer.

To see how it turns out, watch the movie. It's full of truths about family ties, loneliness, forgiveness and grief, offering even the most jaded viewer something to hope for even when things look grim. And as it turns out, Zac Efron is a pretty good actor despite his Greek-god looks.