A quiet little film that came out and got lots of praise from critics of which I finally got around to watching and I've to to admit the film lived up to the praise I'd read about. So, If you're in the mood for a slow film with some good characters (and acting) that doesn't have a real story line but as the film goes on does get engrossing, then this is a film you'll like. I liked it, not a lot, but enough that I'd recommend to people who like movies that are vastly different from the type of movies Hollywood churns out by the dozens. Don't get me wrong though, this a slow moving film of which I'll talk more about later.
If you're a fan of Alexander Payne, have heard of him or seen his movies, I will say of the films I've seen of his (Election, Sideways, and About Schmidt,) this is his best film. I'm not a total fan of his but I found his style of direction and pacing really fit the subject matter and themes of this movie with a perfection I found lacking in his other films. One thing I do like about Payne is that he does let the actors and actresses in his movie actually act and he doesn't ruin their performances with too many edits or cuts, you actually get to see them perform. This movie is no different. It is a very character driven movie and as I've said before if you make interesting characters you won't need much of a story line to drive the movie forward. The interesting characters can do that for you, if you know, you make them interesting. I found them wholeheartedly interesting in this movie and very relate able in a real world way. The characters in this movie have a real life quality to them from their appearance, to their personality that just made this movie feel all the more authentic, which a lot of film makers try to achieve but I always get a feeling that they're trying to hard to get this authentic feeling across. Nebraska doesn't feel this way at all. All of the authenticity feels genuinely earned in a way I'm not used to movies trying to be this way feeling and it felt good when a film maker got it right. Another thing Payne isn't using these kinds of people to make a comment on small town America but actually just a good slice of life from these character's life.
The few themes running around in this movie revolve around relationships: father/son, husband/wife, brother/brother, mother/son, and the many other relationship combinations you can make from an extended family relations. These relationship combinations make up the bulk of the film and are all the better for it. As I wrote earlier, this is a slow moving film for about the first 45 minutes to an hour but once the history of the father starts to be explored - with no major revelation but enough that the pacing of the movie livens up quickly. This makes for a screenplay that sizzles with life when it's supposed and doesn't phase out. Also when the actors are all together on screen: the mother, father, and both brothers the film really has a different life and feel to it than before and one of genuineness that is completely earned. The acting of everyone is so that I wouldn't mind seeing more scenes with them in it or seeing them together in another film (sequel maybe and an odd sequel it would be but also kind of fitting in a way) such was the brilliance of their performances.
A small gem of a movie that needs to be seen by more people.
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