The Kids Are All Right

To open the spring season, we have the winner of the Best Feature at Berlin 2010, a film focusing on lesbian couple Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore), who are happily raising their two children (15-year-old Laser and his 18-year-old sister Joni,) when their lives are thrown into turmoil after the kids track down their anonymous sperm-donor father. He turns out to be charismatic restaurateur Paul (Mark Ruffalo) who then cheerfully enters the lives of his biological children and their mothers. His presence triggers a series of unexpected events, causing everyone involved to re-examine their lives and relationships. Performances and direction are superb, the humour is sharp and intelligent, and relationships finely nuanced - but are the kids really all right?