 |
|
|
 |
|
| About Schmidt |
| Genre |
Dark Comedy/ Satire |
| Starring |
Jack Nicholson |
| Director |
Alexander Payne |
|
|
"About Schmidt", written and directed by Alexander Payne, is one of the funniest, saddest and most thought provoking films in recent memory.
Jack Nicholson is in top form as Warren Schmidt, a man who is suddenly snapped out of his routine following retirement and the sudden death of his wife. Uncertain about his future as well as his past, Warren packs up his 30-foot Winnebago to set out on a journey across the Nebraska plains where he hopes to to talk his mopey daughter, Jeannie (Hope Davis), out of marrying Randall (Dermot Mulroney), a kind but dimwitted water bed salesman.
Along the way, Warren recounts his journey and shares his observations with Ndugo, a 6-year-old Tanzanian orphan Schmidt impulsively signed up to sponsor for $22 a month. Encouraged by the charity to write, Schmidt composes letters seething grief, rage, and bewilderment over what his life has become.
In Schmidt, we see a man gradually stripped of all his illusions about his job, his marriage, his daughter and his life. Finally, he is brought face to face with emptiness. Another actor might have made the character too tragic or passive or empty, but Nicholson somehow finds within Schmidt a slowing developing hunger, a desire to start living now that the time is almost gone.
"About Schmidt" is a beautiful portrait of flawed characters struggling with the essential questions of life. Although it has moments of cynicism, this is not a cynical film. Although it contains instances of humor, it is not a comedy.
The real genius of "About Schmidt" is in it's balance. Expertly navigating between sharp social satire and bracing compassion, the characters are honest to the point of pain, but never turned into fodder for cheap jokes or dramatic flash points. It is rare that a film can tackle issues this heavy, with any kind of a comedic touch.
The film provokes discussion about dealing with the shortcomings in your life and guarding against the disappearance of hope.
BOTTOM LINE: This may have been the best film of the year. A to A+ |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| "We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then question the manner in which I provide it." |
- Jack Nicholson
A Few Good Men
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
Distributed Beers
|
| 5 |
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot |
| 4 |
Guinness Draught |
| 3 |
Newcastle Brown Ale |
| 2 |
Bass Pale Ale |
| 1 |
Samuel Adams Boston Lager |
|
|
|
|
|
