How entertaining?     ★★★★★
Thought provoking? ★★☆☆☆

11 March 2012

This article is a review of FOR ELLEN.

By Hemanth Kissoon

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"Why didn't you come to see me before," Ellen

Opening with Paul Dano’s Joby Taylor driving around, lank haired and nailed polished; he’s late for a divorce proceedings negotiation. It is acrimonious. His wife will only speak to him through her lawyer. Joby says he’s been busy, working on a new album. His situation is presented as dour. Firstly, Joby’s lawyer is played by Jon Heder (a.k.a. Napoleon Dynamite) – and he doesn’t seem all that gifted. Most relevantly, his music career is stalling, compounded by friction within his band. Joby needs money. His wife, Claire (Margarita Levieva), knows this and presents him with his only opportunity to stay out of court: he will get 50% of the house, though, in return he must give up all legal rights to his child, Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo). Parent and child barely know each other, but the termination of this relationship brings on a crisis for Joby. Set over just a few days, this is an emotionally devastating film; played expertly and made with a deft touch. The acting is excellent, especially from Dano - always good, but here exceptional, with Joby’s pain conveyed so convincingly – and Mandigo (showing so well what is at stake).

Claustrophobically made, the shooting is so tight on the characters at certain moments, as Joby’s predicaments tighten around him. Reminds me tonally and thematically of BLUE VALENTINE and THE WRESTLER: heartbreaking mistakes, family watersheds, and desperation for redemption. When The National’s SORROW plays over the end, there was a massive lump in my throat (in a manly way of course!).

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