James White is presented as a twenty something young man with leanings towards hedonism and is currently living on his mothers couch whilst 'looking after her' – this is along with the news that his father has died. The film tracks his life over a number of months and it soon becomes clear that his mother is seriously unwell and needs him to step up to the plate.
What this is though is a reflection of his journey and how he deals with it. His hedonism is shown as someone who wants to go out and have a good time – sometimes too much of a good thing turns bad and that is also the case here. It is all parts of life's rich tapestry. Christopher Abbot as White ('A Most Violent Year') carries the role perfectly; he has smouldering good looks that are underplayed by his apparent lack of panache. This leads to an enigmatic and at times powerfully realistic performance.
Anyone who has had to deal with great personal loss will find it easy to empathise here and also the understanding that it affects us all differently and at different times. That raw essence of feeling and emotion is captured extremely well here. Having said all of the above this is still a hard film to watch in places – and that is a good thing in many respects. If you like your films to be more honest and deal with things too often 'glossed over' then you may very well find something to like here.
What this is though is a reflection of his journey and how he deals with it. His hedonism is shown as someone who wants to go out and have a good time – sometimes too much of a good thing turns bad and that is also the case here. It is all parts of life's rich tapestry. Christopher Abbot as White ('A Most Violent Year') carries the role perfectly; he has smouldering good looks that are underplayed by his apparent lack of panache. This leads to an enigmatic and at times powerfully realistic performance.
Anyone who has had to deal with great personal loss will find it easy to empathise here and also the understanding that it affects us all differently and at different times. That raw essence of feeling and emotion is captured extremely well here. Having said all of the above this is still a hard film to watch in places – and that is a good thing in many respects. If you like your films to be more honest and deal with things too often 'glossed over' then you may very well find something to like here.