An unexpected gem.
I started watching this on TV without having heard of it or seen any inkling of what it was about. I was immediately taken in by the story, which portrays a normal, good, average guy dealing with a difficult situation. It managed to capture my attention quickly because of its carefully crafted portrayal of life as it often is; flawed, imperfect, but ultimately well-meaning and plain "normal".
There is no unnecessary menace. No fabrication of conflict, often derived purely by the script-writers by forcing characters to "act stupid" in order to create drama that wouldn't otherwise exist (Walking Dead is a good example of that popular cinematic crime).
Everyone (with perhaps the exception of the father, and Barry) makes decisions which we can all relate to, with no suspension of disbelief required. It is that which made the film both heartfelt, and truly engaging. At every turn I felt I could actually relate to the characters. A rare treat in this world of plastic cinema and counterfeit drama.
It is certainly slow moving, and lacking in "theatrics", but this is precisely why it works. It doesn't rely on cliches or any of the banal moralising tripe that swamps so many Hollywood films. The decisions and choices that the central characters makes are immediately humane and real.
If you like blockbusters, and only blockbusters, then you'll probably hate this film for its slow pace and lack of action. If, however, you aren't a soulless dolt then maybe you'll even shed a tear at the finale like I did. Unusually for me, I didn't feel totally manipulated in doing so.
Great cast, great script, great film.
