Causeway

As you would expect from A24, a quiet, not overdramatised film. Jennifer Lawrence shines, especially in the small moments, like the scene with her brother. In addition to the two strong main characters, the story also features interestingly written supporting characters such as the mother or the brother, about whom we only learn fragments of news. The original soundtrack by Alex Somers is particularly well done, really outstanding, if not the best I have heard in a cinema film this year. The rest of the background music, which deviates from the original soundtrack, unfortunately feels out of place. Look and camerawork simple but effective. 7/10.

Causeway is a decent drama backed by great performances from Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry. Lila Neugebauer's debut feature is a quiet moving drama which slowly shows a soldiers recovery from a brain injury.

Jennifer Lawrence wisely chooses a smaller production here, taking a break from big budget affair like Hunger Games & especially X-Men (The X-Men series ended up a noose round Lawrence's neck after the great First Class & Days Of Future Past).

Brian Tyree Henry continues his rise here and does well in a more serious role than usually expected from him. After Bullet Train, he's had a fairly successful year.

Hopefully Jennifer Lawrence will stick to more independent efforts like this and Winter's Bone as that's where her talents are definitely more suited.

Acting tour de force. Jennifer Lawrence's performance is a gem, and Brian Tyree is as genuine as it gets. Low key, slow burn, with a great soundtrack. Will leave a longstanding impression. Scene with her brother was heartwarming and heartbreaking, but felt a little tacked on. This movie deserved a bigger theatrical release - why not? Apple wanted the exclusivity? A coup by Apple I suppose, but I fear this movie won't get the exposure it deserves. I want to see more movies like this from Jennifer Lawrence; her ability to turn a raw, soulful performance seems effortless - it is easy to forget her acting and simply believe in who she is portraying. 9 stars, I didn't want it to end as abruptly as it did. Still very satisfying and perhaps the ending is perfect as-is?

I don't know if Causeway will be talked about during the Oscar season, but I thought the film was pretty solid. It's a slow examination of PTSD & the frustrating process of rehabilitation with strong performances from Jennifer Lawrence & Brian Tyree Henry at its core, their dynamic is what made the movie work for me even though it can be a tough watch at times considering the nature of the subject.

Jennifer Lawrence's character suffers from an incident in Afghanistan and she still has to deal with the repercussions now that she's back home, a place that she doesn't necessarily like to be. It's mostly a quiet film but it has some strong moments of emotions, especially towards the end where I felt like they did a good job making us care about the characters. The people in this movie felt very natural and that's just good casting & acting. A good reminder that Jennifer Lawrence can act.

The relationship between Jennifer Lawrence's character (Lynsey) and her family & friends is what drives this film. She has some work to do on her physical & mental health and we witness her journey as she tries to adjust to her new life. The bond she builds with Brian Tyree Henry is heartfelt as they share a similar trauma and are trying to help each other. It's not something I would be willing to watch again in the near future, it's a heavy subject, but at least there's some light in there to give us hope and make us appreciate the material.

7/10.

But I enjoyed it. It's pace is studied. There's a tenderness to the way the story unfolds. Lawrence plays it straight if somewhat somber in her delivery. And I think this sets the tone all the way through the movie. There's very little deviation from the baseline of her recovery.

Brian Tyree Henry seems to hit on the same frequency. But the chemistry between him and Lawrence is real. The dialogue is slack and natural. A wonderful study in character that charmed me from the beginning.

I appreciate movies like this with no pretension or great overarching theme. It's a simple human film about two shattered lives that find some solace between them. I loved it for that; for all the things that's it's missing. What remains is a beautiful story.