I remember the trailers for C’mon C’mon in which lead actor Joaquin Phoenix seemed to be telling a small boy through voiceover narration about this mysterious thing called life. On the one hand, the trailer gave me this feeling that this was the sort of movie I had seen before, when an older, wiser man was guiding someone, someone who was in fact his son, into adulthood. It was also in black-and-white, and while that might suggest some sort of pretentious sort of feel, used right, it can give a movie a great deal of flavor and visual texture. If anything, it reminded me a little of the more spiritual aspects of some of Terrence Malick’s films.
I did opt to see the movie, and let’s just say many of my assumptions about the movie were a bit off.
Radio journalist Johnny (Phoenix) is out recording interviews with children across the country, asking them what they think the future will bring. Feeling a bit lonely, he calls his sister Viv (Gabby Hoffmann). It’s the anniversary or so of their mother’s death, and the two haven’t really spoken much, but this is a good night for them to talk. Viv is in need to help: her estranged husband Paul (Scoot McNairy) is having some problems with an ongoing mental health issue, and she needs to go care for him. Can Johnny watch her nine year old son Jesse (Woody Norman) in Los Angeles? Johnny agrees, but soon, Viv’s time away extends longer and Johnny needs to return to work in New York. He takes Jesse with him and attempts to build a bond with the somewhat eccentric young boy who is by turns endearing and infuriating. Johnny has a lot to learn about parenting, or even just being a better member of a family, and Jesse, well, he’s having a tough time of his own, and Viv is also in a bad place emotionally.
The point is, there’s a lot of growing up to do for a lot of people, and part of growing up means accepting feelings and listening to others.
That seems to be the message of this one. When Jesse is behaving himself, he’s a good natured, somewhat imaginative boy who takes a shine to a lot of what Johnny does, then he and Johnny get along great. When he’s not, then Johnny finds himself unsure of what he’s even supposed to do, and in a refreshing moment for any movie, it turns out Viv isn’t a whole lot better at the whole parenting thing. To be clear, neither are exactly bad at caring for the boy, but he’s a kid and sometimes kids act up and sometimes adults don’t always react the way they feel they should. It gave the film a much more emotionally realistic feel. Factor in the black-and-white cinematography got some beautiful shots of its different locations, making New York, New Orleans, Detroit, and Los Angeles all looking very distinct in their own ways. This was a beautifully shot film that is ultimately about being emotionally honest with our loved ones and ourselves.
That’s basically what this movie is about. Johnny and Viv are a bit estranged, largely because of a couple incidents he only eludes to, but this is a movie where people seem to grope around and try to figure out life. I wouldn’t say it’s the sort of movie where they succeed, but it is one that seems to give everyone some clues on how to handle everything better. That may be the best a movie like this can do, and that’s mostly because it’s the best any of us can do in the real world. I can dig that.
Grade: A
0 Comments