Image courtesy of A24 Films
Some movies make you want to talk, some movies make you want to be with someone you can talk to.
This is Mike Mills' "C'mon C'mon" genre movie-an introspective movie about a man and his nephew that makes you want to connect, no matter what the connection is. With its black and white color scheme, moody glimpses of typical gorgeous Los Angeles, and a handful of characters who barely maintain a "good" appearance, this story will take you through the charm of introspection and fragility.
The story tells the seemingly perfect performance of Johnny (played by Joaquin Phoenix) traveling all over the country, interviewing children for radio shows. These questions are tricky, and the answers are important—and insightful, when you put it all together, make Johnny believe that these kids are just like adults. But Johnny has two problems. One, he is lonely. On the way to the next batch of interviews, he has been hiding in the hotel, apparently grabbing some things that he can't fully grasp. There are two more, it takes him longer to realize-Johnny doesn't really understand his subject. He has never really experienced daily interactions with children (or "young people" because he always mentioned them in the original recording).
When Johnny’s sister Viv (Gabby Hoffman) asked him to take care of her son Jesse (Woody Norman) while she helped Jesse’s father (Scott McNary) recover his mental health, Johnny Ni seized this opportunity. Maybe he thinks it will change the rhythm; maybe he wants the company. He knows the child-it will be a piece of cake. But as the days passed and Viv continued to expand Johnny's responsibilities, Johnny found that Jesse was much more complicated than he originally thought.
This is not a "sir" mother" scene anyway. Johnny does not effortlessly keep up with Jesse's request physically and emotionally. He doesn't understand why he likes to pretend so much, and some of Jesse's reactions seem to come from the left field. And he especially didn't understand why Jesse had been digging into Johnny's past, trying to understand him. This created a very thoughtful and sometimes tense environment, and Phoenix and Norman had beautifully explored it.
If the black and white color scheme and slow dull music do not immediately recognize Johnny's headspace, Mills cleverly reveals his discomfort bit by bit through various dialogues in the film. When Jesse showed himself to Johnny, he also slowly extracted Johnny's story from him.
There are a few early moments that seem to be forced and illustrative, but as the movie continues, it is expected to get lost in the tenderness of the relationship between Johnny and Jesse. If this review fails to mention the wonderful and honest relationship between Phoenix and Hoffman as siblings in a broken but loving family, it would be wrong.
"C'mon C'mon" will be screened at Midtown Cinema in December this year. Don't miss this beautiful exploration of fragility.
Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily Street in Harrisburg. For more information, please visit www.midtowncinema.com.
Midtown Cinema December Events
Fall to the front! The comedy improvisation group improvises on Santa’s dual function
"Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" (1964)
Third place in Burg Movie Night
"National Ironic Christmas Holiday" (1989)
"This is a good life" (1946)
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November 30, 2021 | Written by: Barbara Trinin Blank
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