wayne wang direction may be the ingredient which make this film much more impressive to me than slum of beverly hill and which cover remarkably similar ground . the interplay between susan sarandon and natalie portman be rivet . real chemistry there . this film succeed in bring me inside the dysfunctional life of these two woman without drag me down into depressed frustration . susan sarandon character hammer at all the nerve which a narcissistic parent be capable of touch in an insecure adolescent . she amazingly manage to do this without come across a floridly insane or intentionally sadistic . and and natalie portman deflect each attack on her character ego with the resigned grace of an intelligent codependent child and untainted by the smug cynicism of the natasha lyonne character in slum of beverly hill . portman character be an adolescent with dignity under stress and an unusual creature in modern film . the film reach a very satisfying resolution without try too hard . i highly recommend this film to the viewer who want to be challenge and entertain .