Director: James Ponsoldt
Writers: David Lipsky (book), Donald Margulies
Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Anna Chlumsky, Jason Segel
Storyline
A magazine reporter recounts his travels and conversations with author
David Foster Wallace during a promotional book tour.
Movie Reviews
Saw this film last
weekend at its world premiere at Sundance. First of all, Donald
Margulies' script was fantastic. I am slightly partial to good writing
in film, so perhaps that's just what stood out to me, but the dialogue
is incredibly well-written and natural and at least generally captures
David Foster Wallace's fascinating way of talking. In essence (and in
the best of ways), nothing really happens in this movie. There isn't a
lot of high stakes drama, but that's exactly what makes it so
compelling. It's like we as the audience get a glimpse into two men
struggling with the same ideas about life, art, expression, addiction,
culture, and depression.
Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg live up to the task of interpreting the script, helped along the way by director James Ponsoldt. The direction is simple, and the camera work is relatively basic throughout, giving the actors plenty of room to work with natural rhythm. Segel definitely impressed me, as this was the first dramatic role I've seen him in. While he didn't exactly capture some of Wallace's real-life mannerisms, I'm not sure if that was exactly the point of the film. He interpreted the script in a powerful way, and I think that that ended up working out quite well for the overall tone of the film. Eisenberg played his usual somewhat neurotic, slightly asshole- ish character very well, and I thought it fit the reporter role perfectly.
Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg live up to the task of interpreting the script, helped along the way by director James Ponsoldt. The direction is simple, and the camera work is relatively basic throughout, giving the actors plenty of room to work with natural rhythm. Segel definitely impressed me, as this was the first dramatic role I've seen him in. While he didn't exactly capture some of Wallace's real-life mannerisms, I'm not sure if that was exactly the point of the film. He interpreted the script in a powerful way, and I think that that ended up working out quite well for the overall tone of the film. Eisenberg played his usual somewhat neurotic, slightly asshole- ish character very well, and I thought it fit the reporter role perfectly.
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