This is one of those few good movies about men. The others --
Talk to Her, Smoke, for examples -- have male directors and
writers. Not this one. The director carries the movie -- except for
Julianne Nicholson, who deserves at least an Oscar nomination.
The focus is on men: family relations, ties to work, handling of
women, difficulty in expressing or handling emotion, resort to
physical outlets. All of which seem natural and understandable in
the context of the characters and setting of the movie. It is a
coming of age movie about a young adult male.
Despite the lack of car crashes, the movie gets its top rating from
young adult males, and, despite the importance of women and
romance, it gets its lowest ratings from women over 30. They both
know what they want and know when they get it. A guy film --
sensitive, nuanced, realistic, conflicted, and uplifting.
Talk to Her, Smoke, for examples -- have male directors and
writers. Not this one. The director carries the movie -- except for
Julianne Nicholson, who deserves at least an Oscar nomination.
The focus is on men: family relations, ties to work, handling of
women, difficulty in expressing or handling emotion, resort to
physical outlets. All of which seem natural and understandable in
the context of the characters and setting of the movie. It is a
coming of age movie about a young adult male.
Despite the lack of car crashes, the movie gets its top rating from
young adult males, and, despite the importance of women and
romance, it gets its lowest ratings from women over 30. They both
know what they want and know when they get it. A guy film --
sensitive, nuanced, realistic, conflicted, and uplifting.