A successful actor retires at a young age and lives in a small town with his deranged sister and his best friend. The film follows the foibles of its the main characters as they seek to resolve 'maladies' that make it difficult for them to relate with one another and cope with themselves.
Despite its big-name cast (Catherine Keener is on impressive form), most viewers will find it an impossibly pretentious, drifting picture that, while brimful of pseudo-philosophising, lacks substance where it matters.
The social construction of illness is certainly a worthy topic, but Carter situates his characters far from any semblance of a plot and even further from his heart.
"Maladies" remains on too low a boil to communicate any sense of stakes for the various characters. It seems to be trying to say something about creativity, and living one's life on one's own terms, but it's a muddle.
