Lush

There is a useful directness to Lush, a comedy shaped by Mark Gibson with a firm understanding of its audience. In Lush, Campbell Scott provides the anchor while Laura Linney introduces a contrasting energy. Without revealing later complications, Lush opens from this situation: Lionel "Ex" Exley is a golf pro who returns to his hometown of New Orleans, where he befriends lawyer W. Firmin Carter. The resulting its 1h 33m running time feels most convincing whenever Lush trusts behaviour more than explanation.

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Lush uses its comedy framework to consider embarrassment, status and the gap between confidence and reality. For the character played by Campbell Scott, that idea gives Lush stakes beyond the next immediate obstacle. The recurring pressure of Ex prevents the theme in Lush from feeling like decoration added after the story. Mark Gibson makes Lush more thoughtful whenever the implications remain inside action and reaction.

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As director of Lush, Mark Gibson proves more promising in concept than persuasive in execution in the transitions between intimate material and larger demands. A strong scene in Lush often begins with a modest detail before Mark Gibson lets its meaning expand. For Lush, committed work cannot fully overcome the structural weakness because the central tone remains visible even during busy passages. The weakness in Lush is that relationships remain too thin for later consequences to carry weight, although Mark Gibson usually finds the original rhythm again.

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Performance is the clearest human asset in Lush, beginning with the committed centre provided by Campbell Scott. Laura Linney keeps Lush from settling into one emotional register by approaching the material from another angle. The presence of Jared Harris gives the surrounding world of Lush additional texture without distracting from the main line. When Mark Gibson holds on a reaction, Lush communicates more efficiently than another explanatory exchange could manage.

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The narrative of Lush works from a simple but productive collision between Lionel and Ex. Through Campbell Scott, Lush keeps that premise rooted in a reaction the audience can understand. Mark Gibson introduces Exley at a useful point, giving Lush a reason to change pace without abandoning its emotional line. The handling of New Orleans is not equally fresh, yet Lush usually earns attention through clarity rather than surprise alone.

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Lush gains much of its identity from well judged reactions, a choice that makes the world readable as well as attractive. The contribution of i5 Films allows Lush to combine well judged reactions with a consistent visual language. Within its United States setting, Lush makes particularly good use of performer rhythm when the story needs to change scale. Sound and editing preserve the personality of Lush by supporting detail instead of announcing every intended response.

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My final view is that Lush provides a difficult recommendation despite several capable contributions for comedy fans who respond to personality and timing. Campbell Scott supplies the emotional memory of Lush, while Mark Gibson keeps the genre machinery readable. A concern remains because relationships remain too thin for later consequences to carry weight across part of Lush, yet the better passages retain their force. What earns Lush consideration is not perfection but the presence of choices that feel made for this story.