Actors shine in this portrait of two families on the brink

In a summer movie season filled with giant robots, vengeful mutants and stampeding dinosaurs, a tiny film with a very talented cast has come along to save the day for film lovers looking for something with more substance.

Lymelife tells the tale of the Bartletts and the Braggs, two tightly connected families living in Long Island, New York in the 1970s. Both family units are in shambles thanks to financial hardships, infidelity and an outbreak of Lyme disease in their community.

The story is told from the point of view of 15-year old Scott Bartlett, portrayed by Rory Culkin. Scott has a macho older brother who is on leave from the military, and parents who seem to constantly be at each other's throats. He is also in love with his neighbour and classmate Adrianna Bragg (Emma Roberts), whose family is also going through turmoil.

Adrianna's father Charlie (Timothy Hutton) is suffering from Lyme disease, which is commonly contracted through tick bites. Lyme disease can cause depression and other psychological and neurological abnormalities. He is out of work due to the condition, but tells his wife he is looking for a new job. In reality, he is spending his time smoking pot, and stalking deers (they are a host of ticks). To make ends meat, Charlie's wife Melissa (Cynthia Nixon of "Sex in the City") has taken a job working for neighbour and burgeoning real estate mogul Mickey Bartlett (Alec Badwin).

Baldwin delivers another fantastic performance as Mickey Bartlett. While he is quite a successful businessman, Baldwin's Mickey leaves a lot to be desired as a husband and a father. At one point Baldwin leaves a threatening message for his daughter Ireland, calling her a "rude, thoughtless little pig"…oh, wait, that happened in real life. Mickey is obsessed with his real estate development business, and as a result does not spend much time with his wife and kids. He has been spending time in the company of other women however.

The rest of the cast certainly holds their own. Both Rory and Keiran Culkin (as older brother Jimmy) are particularly strong in this film. If someone had told me that Macaulay Culkin was the least talented one of the siblings before this film, I would have told them they were crazy. But it's the truth. I think Rory and Keiran will be heading out for many more movie sets in the future, leaving poor Macaulay sitting home alone.

While aspects of this review may make Lymelife sound like quite a gloomy film, it is not without humour. In some ways it is similar to films such as Juno and Garden State, both of which featured young people dealing with some very serious issues, but still managed to tickle the funny bone on several occasions. Not to mention that with all the stuff these two families are going through, you'll probably leave the theatre feeling a whole lot better about your own life.

If you are looking for an alternative to the big budget Hollywood fare this summer, I'd suggest you check out Lymelife, quite possibly the best film that will be released this season. Lymelife opens May 15th in London, playing exclusively at Rainbow Cinemas.