When Steven Burke is killed in an act of random violence, his wife, Audrey, is forced to go on raising their two kids without him. In a dire effort to keep her sanity she forms a relationship with Jerry Sunborne, her husband's best friend from childhood whom she couldn't stand before. Jerry is a heroin addict and through his addiction he has lost everything. As their relationship reaches uncomfortable waters, they are both forced to realize that without the other, each can't survive.
Stricken by a dull story and inadequate chemistry, Things We Lost in the Fire is full of good intention but falls short of being anything close to entertaining.
The biggest roadblock for the feature is its story. What is supposed to be an inspirational tale about discovery and acceptance turns into a one about dependence and to some extent betrayal. Audrey invites her husband's friend to live with them out of what she says is kindness, but based on the relationship that becomes of it, there is no doubt that he served nothing but a replacement for her husband. While staying at her house he sits where Steven sat, he plays basketball when Steven usually played basketball, he runs with his neighbors when Steven usually ran with his neighbors, and he even cuddles Audrey just like Steven use to. The man was a replacement and this simple fact alone gives the film a stomach turning appeal.
In addition, throughout the film the kids call him "˜Daddy' or say things that reference him being a father figure, and a father figure is fine, but when he starts kissing his best friend's wife and cuddling her at night, things turn creepy and awkward.
Then there was the complete lack of chemistry between Del Toro and Barry. Del Toro created his character to perfection, selling himself as a habitual drug user bringing awkwardness and heaviness to the film while Barry portrayed a widower miserably as no one felt sorry or had pity on her. Her emotions were often unwarranted and overacted which resulted in numerous awkward encounters with others.
Barry and Del Toro's conversations and interactions came across as forced and even in their most intense scenes, there was nothing there. I understand that the relationship was suppose to be awkward, but it was also suppose to ease up as time progressed; however, it never happened as everything seemed out of place to the end. And on top of that, the characters weren't relatable to the audience, which helped the film form a nose-dive, unable to reach the ground quick enough.
Then you have the child actors, who were horribly cast as they came across as spoiled, whinny children, not warranting any type of sympathy whatsoever. And after the first scene, neither seemed to "˜miss' their Dad or mention him at all, which I found surprising.
In the end, the film was long, boring and awkward. I wish I could explain what has happened to Halle Berry's career since winning the Oscar for Monster Ball but the caliber of her films continues to decline. Either way, don't waste your time or your money on this one.
