Monday, July 15, 2013

Independent Film of Summer 2013: The Way Way Back.

Fourteen miles. Counting the wrong turns and wobbly draw bridges that Chicago is famous for Russovoir bravely crossed; his feet painting the endless pavement with sweat and blood; the night growing colder and sinister. If there's a will, and a stubborn one he'll give you that, there's always a way and, The Way Way Back was as purpose-driven, purpose-walking in this case, as a headstrong missionary in transit.

Allison Janney (below) already placed the film in a good light ten, fifteen minutes through the film. Russovoir thought she was familiar, that she was in a prior film watched; surely out of boredom instead of interest because had it been, he would've finished the film to see the credits roll and at least, match her face to that frustrating film. Not until Russovoir went to IMDb that it struck him. Struck by Lightning (2012) was that film. Then it made sense. She was vaguely remembered because, not only Russovoir was on the plane only at the tenth hour of twelve - he's gotten impatient - the film was vapid and a rip off of Easy A (2010). What madness, he conceded defeat to sleep.

Goodness what digression. That sixteenth minute through the film, and until the end, it was a plot stimulant. Eyes glued to the screen, raving mouth in one minute, concave in another - fourteen what again?

"And no, don't come down."

Janney, together with Sam Rockwell (below right) - shucks, where does Russovoir even begin? - are a lollipop after a painful tooth extraction. Because the film is a tragedy. Call it the diary of a divorcee's son. And the beauty of this film, as it is enviably impressive, is how the 15-year old boy (Liam James, below left) copes with the drama in the household; that every cloud has a silver lining. That should be it, an outlet of happiness, even if you have to bike to it. Fourteen miles. The film didn't actually play with our emotions, making us happy and sad like that in one sitting. What it really did was give us an outlet of happiness as far as the film went. Timely in between scenes, just before our faces are hot to shed tears.

"I hate him. He said I'm a 3, out of 10."

Are you done, Russovoir? Oh no, I'm far from done.

"I knew that. It's a 10-step process."

It's all about the dialogue and delivery that makes The Way Way Back a successful comedy. While Steve Carell enraged us Sam Rockwell engrosses us. The charm of Rockwell was long forgotten in Charlie's Angels (2000), overshadowed by Hilary Swank in the inspiring Conviction (2010), that he was this familiar face yes, but who, how, these funny lines and antics admittedly work on an actor who isn't big in comedy (as Carell is). Surprising really, he's effectively funny with bare effort on it, like any known funny personality in Hollywood.

The same goes with Carell. He's effectively an asshole with bare effort, consciously setting aside that he's the big one in comedy.

It's as if these actors from their respective genres of strength switched places and called this project an independent one because no one knows how the market will take it. And putting it lightly, and here's to creative writing, the film rockwell. Effusively even more.


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