Reptileenbu
Did you people see the same film I saw?
ThedevilChoose
When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.
Fatma Suarez
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
Brenda
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
tigerfish50
'Afternoon Delight' pretends to push the envelope, but it's just another lightweight Indie comedy-drama with a fickle plot. The story relates how a frustrated LA housewife called Rachel visits a strip club with her husband in order to revive their sexually comatose marriage. A lap dance from a stripper somehow provokes Rachel to hire the girl as a live-in nanny for her young son. This foolish decision is clearly driven by latent desire for the dancer, but the film doesn't develop the idea with any serious intent. The stripper turns out to be a decent nanny, but the new domestic arrangement leads to some awkward situations. After Rachel chooses to accompany her stripper/nanny on a call-girl appointment, she becomes hostile to the girl and the dynamic changes. The script choices remain consistently capricious throughout, exemplified by the meltdown of Rachel's therapist, who suddenly confides her lesbian relationship has broken up, and starts weeping about it during a session - and once again there is no follow-up. Eventually Rachel and her husband get down to business in the bedroom without needing to address any of their problems - so there's that.
elainekehew
Rarely does one see a film that really explores the pain and boredom of being a housewife and a stay-at-home mom. This movie does, and the raw energy that Kathryn Hahn brings to the role is moving and real. Radnor and Hahn have an edgy, jagged chemistry that seems just about pitch-perfect for the turmoil their marriage is in, and the supporting cast was above par. I sense that the negative reviews on this stem from folks who haven't lived through this- and if you're looking for escapist fun, Afternoon Delight will not deliver. However, if you're looking for some authentic art - this will answer.I appreciated the setting of this at the JCC in Silverlake, which gave a note of probability to the issues and socio-economic class. the most poignant scene happens toward the end of the film, and I don't want to spoil anyone's fun, but stay tuned in for the Garage scene. It's worth it
SnoopyStyle
Rachel (Kathryn Hahn) is a smart but bored housewife. She has trouble connecting with her son Logan and has stopped having sex with her husband Jeff (Josh Radnor). Following her friend Stephanie (Jessica St. Clair), she takes her husband to a strip club. Jeff buys her a session in the backroom with stripper McKenna (Juno Temple). Later she tracks down McKenna and befriends her. She takes McKenna in when she runs into problems. Then she finds out that McKenna is a prostitute also. Dr. Lenore (Jane Lynch) is her unhelpful psychiatrist. Jennie (Michaela Watkins) is the bossy school mom.There are a lot of smart funny women in this. Jill Soloway is mostly a TV writer/producer and she has written some pretty smart stuff. She doesn't really have a directorial style. Kathryn Hahn brings a naturally smart lovely vibe. There is a general oddness with the tone. It's light and cute for the first half. It's even wacky and unreal. Then it tries to go to a darker place which it hasn't earn the right to. It definitely doesn't have the realism to be believable. About an hour into the movie, it takes the turn and it feels unreal. It's almost a different movie. Having so many female comedians may actually hurt this. For example, having Jane Lynch just throws the tone to a different place.
badlydrawnhamster
I've previously been a big fan of the director's work, The United States of Tara and Six Feet Under especially, but this is a tiresome piece which doesn't really go anywhere. Or anywhere interesting, at least.Bored housewife Rachel (Kathryn Hahn) seems to be trudging through every day life without taking much pleasure in it until she meets a stripper with a heart of gold (or so it seems at first) and invites her in to her home. After discovering that said stripper is also a sex worker she becomes more obsessed with her, until, inevitably, events take a darker turn.The first half hour of the movie is fairly amusing and well written, albeit with thinly sketched characters that it's hard to care about. But after that the film is painfully self-indulgent, predictable, and transforms in to a tedious mumblecore flick where we're supposed to care for the central leads despite them having no depth at all. An incredibly over long and agonisingly dull party scene seems to go on forever and from that point on everything is hit home with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, until the film eventually ends and you'll wonder why it couldn't all have been summed up within 45 minutes.Centering around the idea that "You don't appreciate what you've got until you've lost it", it could be of interest if it wasn't for the badly drawn characters and frustratingly predictable plot developments, that ultimately lead to an ending you'll have seen coming a mile off. It's a real shame as the first thirty minutes show promise, but it truly fails to deliver on it.