Occasionally shrill, very often pretentious, but never uninteresting. We are carried along Kenneth Lonergan's sprawling portraiture on the strength of the performances and the fact that these characters all ring true. If nothing else, the movie works as an observation of self-absorption. Does that sound like a thrilling time? Well... It worked for me. Anything else that Lonergan might be trying to say about the human experience and/or the nature of guilt gets kind of sucked into the black hole of Anna Paquin's central performance; and the fact the entire enterprise revolves around her. But she's very good, don't get me wrong. It's just that she overwhelms, and one might find themselves missing the point after two-and-a-half hours. In any case, the film is not recommended for people who like direct "to-the-point" storytelling or tidy resolutions. But for those willing to get caught up, it might prove to be a rewarding - even cathartic experience.