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| Source: Imdb |
This autobiographical drama about a young actor and his difficult relationship with his father is a tale of heart-breaking loneliness. The script, while having slightly experimental overtones, was poignant and concise – a great first piece of work from Shia LeBeouf (though I doubt there will be anything quite like this coming from his feather again). The only thing that was missing was clear resolution of the central conflict, as well as a classic tension arc.
Particularly
impressive was Noah Jupe’s performance as young Otis. He did most of the heavy
lifting and deserves all the credit for why this film works so well. It is very
easy to emphasise with him and he perfectly portrays the delicate balance
between being a child, a professional actor, and the adult in the relationship
with his father, played by Shia LeBeouf himself. While I am usually a great fan
of Shia's work, I found that his young co-star stole the show a bit in this one,
but I think he meant for that to happen. Everybody else was just supporting
cast, even Lucas Hedges, who brilliantly played the older version of Otis.
Clearly, a
great team worked on this. The directing by Alma Har’el was superb, the cinematography
gorgeous and artistic with beautiful shot composition, colour pallet and
excellent lighting. The editing left room for a few long takes, giving the
actors enough breathing space to practice their craft, while at the same time
giving the film an even, optimal pace. Composer Alex Somers delivered an
awesome score to help underline the melancholic, bleak atmosphere.
Despite all
of this, the film inexplicably failed to fully engage me emotionally. 3/5 (but
would watch again).
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