THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE
Rated R
Halle Berry, Benicio Del Torro, David Duchovny, Alison Lohman, Omar Benson Miller

Brian's Rating

I don't think we've seen anything from Halle Berry as compelling as her Oscar-winning performance in Monster's Ball, but her efforts as widow Audrey Burke in Things We Lost in the Fire, now on DVD, come pretty close.

The problem is, Benicio Del Toro is so good in this film that you hardly notice Berry. Channeling every world-weary substance abuser ever played by Nick Nolte, Del Toro introduces us to a heroin addict with a heart who steps into Audrey's life to fill the void left by a murdered saint of a husband and father played by David Duchovny.

Themes of grief, loss and pain threaten to weigh the film down but as elements of hope and goodwill periodically stick their nose under the film's dark tent, the audience gets just enough to keep them going. And when that doesn't work, there's always the amazing work of Benicio Del Toro. Things We Lost in the Fire is worth your time and money.