What movie do I write about now? Easy my wife tells me so I have to think even less, a win for laziness. I'll say at times picking a movie to write about is almost as frustrating as doing the review. If you've never heard of this movie in which Robert DeNiro really delivers then please don't look at the rotten tomato's rating for it, 46% rotten. That's part of the problem with a mass rating system like RT, you get too much input by society which is never good. This movie is a pleasant surprise that should NOT be missed. It's also got my guy Sam Rockwell along with Kate Beckingsale and a delightful performance by Drew Barrymore. I'm not a big fan of her but she actually acted in this movie and she can pull it off if she's not alongside Adam Sandler, burn! What is the flick about though? Alright let's check it out.
Robert DeNiro is a widower and he's sick due to his job coating phone lines all his life. His kids are those named above plus David, the son you see little of but who is in the biggest misfortune of all of them. A wonderful family reunion is planned at Dad's place but guess what? All those rotten kids cancel on poor sick old dad at the last minute which is emotional but on a slight scale. He basically says screw this, my wife is dead, I'm home alone (with no Marv or Harry) I'm going out across the country to see what my no good kids are up to. As he travels its neat to see him interact with people, particularly explaining life experiences in a subtle way. He seems like he could be a good dad but you learn as the movie progresses that he isn't the perfect, innocent, done nothing wrong father. He's done nothing terrible but ignore certain aspects of his families life. All I have to say is if you start watching it you'll see it through. I was watching it with my baby niece in the vicinity and I paused it anytime I heard the crying start. I had to listen and make sure I heard it all. I won't rag on my poor defenseless niece she just had a bad day.
The family seems alright at his first visits with them all except for David whom he couldn't reach. Later he learns in a fantastical dream the truth with all of them which puts light on all of their lives in a very interesting way. Pay attention to it as he speaks with his kids as small children around a picnic table, it's rough man. It will pierce your heart in a way that's unique, at least I haven't seen anything quite like it. The part I like is discovering what has been up with David, the son who was treated the hardest by dad. I won't kill it about what happens to him but DeNiro upon finding out that David did become an artist like he always pushed him to be finds a painting his son did that pulls that tear from your eye and forces you to suck on it. The painting was of a simple telephone pole with the lines connecting from pole to pole expressing how much his dad meant to him through all the tough love. The dad learns he ended up doing well by his son after all and well "Everybody's Fine" at the end, right?
It's the type of movie I can't let out the details or it'll be ruined but see this movie, treat your brain to art in cinema form because the mass audience (people) will never appreciate such a movie. They want sex, blood, superhero tights, boom booms and gossip but what you want is a well told story with real human feelings in it to get a break from what Hollywood wants you to like. Don't believe me? Then I'm surprised you read this far down. Can't I be such a hardcase? I don't sugarcoat it's more fun this way.
Rating: 9 of 10
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