Linoleum

Linoleum is a film that defies easy categorization. It starts as a realistic drama about Cameron Edwin (Jim Gaffigan), a struggling children's TV host and scientist who dreams of going to space. He lives with his wife (Anna Gunn) and two kids in a rundown house with a leaky roof and linoleum floors. He also has a secret project in his basement: a homemade rocket that he hopes will take him to orbit.

The film gradually shifts gears into a dark comedy and then into a sci-fi thriller, as Cameron's plan takes an unexpected turn that affects his family and the world. The film is full of twists and surprises that keep the audience guessing until the end. It also has a lot of humor and satire, poking fun at the media, politics, religion, and human nature.

The film's biggest strength is Jim Gaffigan's performance as Cameron. He brings depth and nuance to his character, balancing his passion, frustration, desperation, and madness. He makes us care about his journey, even when he does questionable things. The supporting cast is also solid, especially Anna Gunn as his loyal but conflicted wife.

Linoleum is not a perfect film. It has some pacing issues, some plot holes, and some tonal inconsistencies. But it is an original and daring film that offers something different from the usual Hollywood fare. It is a film that will make you laugh, think, and wonder.

There are a lot of little stories and side plots and characters that are subtly intertwined and come together in the end. That may not make a lot of sense, but it might once you watch the movie. I can't imagine how someone could have the creativity to think of this movie, let alone write it. It kind of renews your faith in movies as a whole; a creative, original work can still be put out there.

This movie is categorized as comedy, drama, and sci-fi, but it's actually mostly drama. Also, I was expecting Jim Gaffigan to be wacky and funny, and he is quirky and humorous in the movie, but his role is mostly serious and he does a surprisingly good job.

The biggest adventure is life itself, Linoleum posits. To me, comedy is not the label for this film, any more than it is a fitting label for daily life. I do like how science is worked in, but this isn't science fiction. Not a tragedy either, It's mostly about the brevity of life, the importance of human connection, the decisions we worry over, and how lucky are those who are loved. Quite touching, even if a few elements are drawn excessively when a lighter touch would have sufficed. The film's ending is bittersweet, especially for audiences past their youth. Though I went in expecting absurdism or fantasy, I am not disappointed with the bittersweet ride I got.

Saw this tonight at the first night of the Columbus Film Festival and Columbus local writer/director Colin West has created a stunning film.

Flowing through a beautiful film with a warm tone, West creates a world where dreams are followed, family is important, and the best in human nature ultimately wins out. Marvelous performances from Gaffigan. Katelyn Nacon, and Michael Ian Black (with a short notable performance by Tony Shalhoub) pay off with a heart warming ending that reminds me why I love movies.

There's a lot to digest here as the movie moves though sci-fi and fantasy while depicting typical days in our daily lives. But stick with this film though it's somewhat slow second act for the ending which put a big smile on my face as I walked out of the theater.

I thought I was watching paint dry as I watched this film play out and in many ways I was. The slow pace, bland(ish) story and somewhat fantastical elements left me wondering where the film was taking me and why they had to present such mundane elements of life to get there. But I nevertheless persevered, motivated only by the hope that some radical conclusion could bring this story together and redeem the past 90 minutes I had been watching it for.

These 90 mins mostly comprised of reflections of failed careers, past regrets and a budding teenage romance all interspersed across the backdrop of a dysfunctional family's lives uprooted by the collision of a rocket in their backyard. Of course these tropes have been played out many times before and the film struggles to find originality in these core themes, though is nonetheless entertaining as it presents them through the lense of pop-science and the spacecraft that fueled our imaginations as children; a thematic element that strikes a deep chord of nostalgia throughout the film.

But make no mistake, this is a fantastic movie, because not only did the movie tie these seemingly separate stories together brilliantly, the movie concludes with one of the most poignant endings i've experienced in film for a very long time.

As each brush stroke played out across the screen it was not until the final stroke and the drying of the paint that it was clear where this movie was heading, and had been heading all along. A perfect reflection of the underlying tragedies experienced by the characters and the beauty of love persevering through it all.

Though my mind did correctly glance across possibilities of the conclusion before it ended and perhaps some allusions to the climax were a little on the nose, I nonetheless found tears streaming uncontrollably down my cheeks as the movie ended. While the credits rolled I left the film in a state of deep reflection, pondering the true nature of each character and the film's diverse imagery, this state of reflection I can only attest to being the quality of a great film.