Score: 3.5 / 5
In a year of men dealing with pretty intense therapeutic issues (Beautiful Boy, Boy Erased), Gus Van Sant's newest flick probably flew under your radar. And rightfully so, as its slyly humorous approach pales in comparison with those other films' gravitas. We follow in it -- the plot is not quite linear -- John Callahan as he struggles with alcoholism and his recent paralysis to become the noted controversial cartoonist. Oddly, the film seems to work against any notion of plot, almost deliberately blurring the lines of conventional narrative in order to force us to care about the characters.
Thankfully, this is one Gus Van Sant film in which he very much succeeds in this endeavor. Joaquin Phoenix (who, like his director here, is often either wholly likable or entirely unknowable) plays Callahan as almost too endearing, rendering the artist and commentator familiar and fun. His "everyman" approach works well for the character, whose real-life counterpart is apparently quite inflammatory, because it gets us to think about both behavioral problems and physical limitations that we may ignore, not understand, or take for granted. That's not dissimilar from many dramas involving disabilities or diseases, but here the focus is clearly on the human spirit as much as the body.
While some may argue that a lack of narrative structure makes the poignant observations and insights of this film feel like a random assortment of sentimental vignettes, I'd argue that it disturbs our conventional understanding of these tales and gets us to laugh along until something really surprises us. One of the biggest surprises for me was Jonah Hill as a most unlikely mentor for Callahan. He's an ex-alcoholic gay Christian and borderline hippie, living off inherited wealth and referring to God as "Chucky". Anachronistic (and maybe anarchistic) as the movie seems at times, Hill is a wonder to behold. His usual explosive, postmodern humor is so toned (and his appearance so caricatured) that he was almost as chameleonic as Phoenix usually is. His measured speech and perceptive character belie a warm heart that is as entrancing as the film itself.
That's not to say it's all comedy and sweetness. The film suffers in ways that, while perhaps not fatal, stopped me from giving myself over. Rooney Mara and Jack Black support the leads in roles that utterly waste their talents. Mara trips over her accent while Black is all but buried behind his mustache and villainous eyebrows. And as a biopic, the film utterly fails. I didn't learn a single thing about Callahan. The character could have been anyone, and as a drama been okay. Its determination to limit its scope to Callahan should have, in my opinion, had a purpose or point. Something that commented on, if not present culture (Callahan, after all, arguably represents a noteworthy shift in society from Reagan-era conservatism), then at least politics or society of its own time. Instead, we get a portrait of a man empowering himself and building a community of support. It's nice, but nothing new, important, or ultimately memorable.
Also, I made the mistake of doing some research. Apparently Robin Williams had initially been set to star. Imagine that movie for a bit, and it'll be much harder to praise this one.
IMDb: Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
In a year of men dealing with pretty intense therapeutic issues (Beautiful Boy, Boy Erased), Gus Van Sant's newest flick probably flew under your radar. And rightfully so, as its slyly humorous approach pales in comparison with those other films' gravitas. We follow in it -- the plot is not quite linear -- John Callahan as he struggles with alcoholism and his recent paralysis to become the noted controversial cartoonist. Oddly, the film seems to work against any notion of plot, almost deliberately blurring the lines of conventional narrative in order to force us to care about the characters.
Thankfully, this is one Gus Van Sant film in which he very much succeeds in this endeavor. Joaquin Phoenix (who, like his director here, is often either wholly likable or entirely unknowable) plays Callahan as almost too endearing, rendering the artist and commentator familiar and fun. His "everyman" approach works well for the character, whose real-life counterpart is apparently quite inflammatory, because it gets us to think about both behavioral problems and physical limitations that we may ignore, not understand, or take for granted. That's not dissimilar from many dramas involving disabilities or diseases, but here the focus is clearly on the human spirit as much as the body.
While some may argue that a lack of narrative structure makes the poignant observations and insights of this film feel like a random assortment of sentimental vignettes, I'd argue that it disturbs our conventional understanding of these tales and gets us to laugh along until something really surprises us. One of the biggest surprises for me was Jonah Hill as a most unlikely mentor for Callahan. He's an ex-alcoholic gay Christian and borderline hippie, living off inherited wealth and referring to God as "Chucky". Anachronistic (and maybe anarchistic) as the movie seems at times, Hill is a wonder to behold. His usual explosive, postmodern humor is so toned (and his appearance so caricatured) that he was almost as chameleonic as Phoenix usually is. His measured speech and perceptive character belie a warm heart that is as entrancing as the film itself.
That's not to say it's all comedy and sweetness. The film suffers in ways that, while perhaps not fatal, stopped me from giving myself over. Rooney Mara and Jack Black support the leads in roles that utterly waste their talents. Mara trips over her accent while Black is all but buried behind his mustache and villainous eyebrows. And as a biopic, the film utterly fails. I didn't learn a single thing about Callahan. The character could have been anyone, and as a drama been okay. Its determination to limit its scope to Callahan should have, in my opinion, had a purpose or point. Something that commented on, if not present culture (Callahan, after all, arguably represents a noteworthy shift in society from Reagan-era conservatism), then at least politics or society of its own time. Instead, we get a portrait of a man empowering himself and building a community of support. It's nice, but nothing new, important, or ultimately memorable.
Also, I made the mistake of doing some research. Apparently Robin Williams had initially been set to star. Imagine that movie for a bit, and it'll be much harder to praise this one.
IMDb: Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
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