Set almost entirely in the winter of 1996, the film revolves around a writer/journalist in David Lipsky as he is given an assignment to interview novelist David Foster Wallace during a five-day promotional tour for his best-selling novel Infinite Jest which has garnered loads of acclaim with Wallace being positioned as one of the greats. Yet, the film is really more about a man trying to get to know this novelist for a piece for Rolling Stone magazine yet both deal with their own issues in being lonely with Wallace struggling to deal with newfound fame as well as rumors about himself. Donald Marguiles’ screenplay is largely straightforward though it begins in 2008 where Lipsky gets the news of Wallace’s suicide as he goes over audio tapes that he recorded during their 1996 road trip as he reflects on that experience. The five-day tour that is a bit of a road trip with a flight from Bloomington-Normal, Illinois to Minneapolis where Lipsky and Wallace deal with the promotion as the former is trying to see if all of these claims of greatness towards the latter are really true.
James Ponsoldt’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of the compositions he creates as well as taking a simple story about a five-day promotional tour and turn it into this study of fame, expectations, and adulation. Shot largely on location in Michigan as well as additional locations in New York City and Minneapolis, the film plays into a moment in time where books were still big as well as pre-Internet media where both Lipsky and Wallace talk about its potential power. While there are some wide shots in some of the locations that the characters go to, much of the direction is intimate whether it’s in a car, a diner, a hotel room, or at a house through medium shots and close-ups. Notably as it play into two men just talking and trying to get to know each other as Lipsky is someone who had just released a book and wonders how Wallace had just achieved greatness. Yet, Wallace is this man who prefers the company of dogs at his home while he does have a couple of acquaintances he would meet in Minneapolis.
The scene where Lipsky chats with one of Wallace’s friends is a moment that showcase a few of the dark aspects of Wallace who believes Lipsky is flirting with her even though he has a girlfriend back in New York City. It adds to Lipsky’s intrigue towards Wallace as he is pressured from his editor to talk about these rumors about Wallace’s supposed heroin addiction when the reality is actually disappointing as it plays into Wallace’s persona as a man who wears regular clothing and a bandana as the theme of identity comes into play. Polsoldt plays up that tension as Lipsky is forced to have revelations about Wallace’s struggle with this newfound celebrity status as well as these expectations in relation to these great writers of the past. Notably in the third act towards the end of the tour as Lipsky wonders if everything Wallace is doing is an act but it turns out to be not as simple as he wishes it would be since great writers in the past played a persona that diverged from their true being. Yet, the reality shows a man just trying to hold on to a sense of self as well as destroy the façade of celebrity. Overall, Polsoldt crafts a riveting and evocative film about a writer/journalist reflecting on his five-day tour with David Foster Wallace.
Cinematographer Jakob Ihre does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it aims for a straightforward and natural approach with some lighting for some of the scenes set at night. Editor Darrin Navarro does nice work with the editing as it also play into being straightforward with some rhythmic cuts that play into reaction shots and conversations. Production designer Gerald Sullivan, with set decorator Yvette Granata and art director Sarah M. Pott, does fantastic work with the look of Wallace’s home and its lack of mystery as well as a bookstore in Minneapolis where he promotes the book. Costume designer Emma Potter does terrific work with the costumes as it is largely casual including the ragged look of Wallace as it plays into the fashion of the 1990s.
Hair stylist Stephanie Strowbridge does superb work with the look of Lipsky’s different hairstyle from a ragged look in 1996 to a more subdued hairstyle in 2008. Visual effects supervisor Matthew Bramante does wonderful work with the visual effects as it is mainly bits of set-dressing for some of the exteriors to play into the look of the 1990s. Sound editor Ryan Collins does amazing work with the sound as it plays into the atmosphere of some the locations including a scene at Mall of America. The film’s music by Danny Elfman is good for its low-key ambient score with music supervisor Tiffany Anders cultivating a brilliant soundtrack that features music from R.E.M., Wang Chung, Tindersticks, Brian Eno, Alanis Morrisette, Fun Boy Three, Felt, Pulp, the Association, Tracey Ullman, Nu Shooz, Pavement, Chaka Khan, and the Magnetic Fields.
The casting by Avy Kaufman is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Becky Ann Baker as a bookstore manager for one of Wallace’s signings, Anna Chlumsky as Lipsky’s girlfriend Sarah who is in awe of Wallace’s book, Mamie Gummer and Mickey Sumner as a couple of friends of Wallace in their respective roles in Julie and Betsy with the latter being a poet that Lipsky is interested in, Ron Livingston as Lipsky’s editor Bob Levin who reluctantly gives Lipsky the story to interview Wallace, and Joan Cusack as Wallace and Lipsky’s chaperone in Minneapolis in Patty Gunderson.
Finally, there’s the duo of Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel in tremendous performances in their respective roles as David Lipsky and David Foster Wallace. Eisenberg brings a reserved performance as a writer who is trying to understand who Wallace his as all of his romantic ideas of what he wants Wallace to be turns out to be false as he tries to figure out what makes Wallace great. Segel’s performance as Wallace is also reserved yet it has its quirks as someone who just wants to be a normal guy whose house is a mess and eats junk food as Segel plays it straight without being someone who wants to be pretentious or be this idea of a what great writer as he isn’t sure if he’s that great. Eisenberg and Segel had great rapport together as they just both look and feel relaxed while also showing some humor in their time together.
The End of the Tour is a phenomenal film from James Ponsoldt that features incredible performances from Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel. Featuring a great supporting ensemble cast, a compelling narrative, and a superb music soundtrack, the film is a fascinating story of a real-life interview between David Lipsky and the late David Foster Wallace just as the latter is ascending to fame despite his own issues with it that would haunt him for the rest of his life. In the end, The End of the Tour is a sensational film from James Ponsoldt.
James Ponsoldt Films: (Off the Black) – Smashed - The Spectacular Now - (The Circle 2017 film))
© thevoid99 2021
Directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody, Tully is the story of a mother of three children who is overwhelmed by her maternal duties where she gains a nanny who would help as well as become her new friend. The film is an exploration of motherhood who is about to have another child as she is forced to accept the idea of needing help as she would end up gaining more. Starring Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass, and Ron Livingston. Tully is a charming and heartfelt film from Jason Reitman.
The film follows a mother who becomes overwhelmed with her maternal duties after the birth of her child as she hires a night-nanny from the advice of her brother as the nanny would eventually make things better. It’s a film with a simple premise as it’s more of a study of a woman who has an unplanned third pregnancy as already being a parent of two adolescents is becoming stressful. Diablo Cody’s screenplay follows the life of Marlo Moreau (Charlize Theron) who is seen heavily pregnant and dealing with her two older kids with husband Drew (Ron Livingston) who is working and does what he can to help out. Marlo’s wealthy brother Craig (Mark Duplass) who wants to help his sister out by giving her a number for a night-nanny as he has one for his kids though Drew believes it isn’t a good idea due to money issues.
It is at a moment of desperation where the film’s titular character (Mackenzie Davis) arrives as she would be this beacon of light for Marlo as the two also become friends. While Cody’s script doesn’t have much plot for much of the film’s second and third act, it does provide these moments that allows Marlo to find some joy again as a mother but also bring back some spark into her romantic time with Drew. The film also feature these elements of dreams as it relates to Marlo often dreaming underwater images as it adds to this sense of freedom that she is craving for.
Jason Reitman’s direction is largely simple in its approach to compositions as it doesn’t bear much style throughout the film. Shot largely on location in Vancouver as a New York City suburb with one major sequence in the third act shot in New York City. Reitman doesn’t go for a lot of wide shots in the film in favor of presenting an intimacy to showcase a housewife/mother struggling to take care of three kids as her son is dealing with behavioral issues that might suggest some form of autism. Reitman’s direction does have some stylistic moments such as a scene in a car that is presented in one take that plays into Marlo’s own frustrations and exhaustion as the camera is inside the car. The scenes with Tully are light-hearted in its approach to drama as Reitman chooses to use close-ups and medium shots to play into this growing friendship between Marlo and Tully.
The film would feature these brief moments of surrealism as it relates to the dreams that Marlo is having as it relates to a mermaid swimming underwater as it would be referenced during the course of the film. Even as it would play more into Marlo’s psyche during the third act as well as this air of surrealism as well as the realism into what Marlo is dealing with as a mother. Particularly as Drew is not around enough or is oblivious to what is happening as he’s only met Tully once as it adds to the intrigue of the story as it relates to Marlo’s own state early in the film. Overall, Reitman crafts a riveting and somber film about a mother of three kids who receives help and a jolt of life from a mysterious night-nanny.
Cinematographer Eric Steelberg does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it’s largely straightforward with its greyish look for some of the daytime exteriors as well as low-key lights for the interior scenes at night at Marlo’s home. Editor Stefan Grube does brilliant work with the editing as it includes some montages of Marlo’s daily routine and a scene where Marlo and Tully drive towards Brooklyn while listening to Cyndi Lauper while much of the editing is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts. Production designer Anastasia Masaro, with set decorators Louise Roper and Karin Wiesel Holmes plus art directors Craig Humphries and Maki Takenouchi, does fantastic work with the look of the home that Marlo and Drew live with the kids as the home that Craig lives in. Costume designer Aiesha Li does terrific work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward to play into the ragged look of Marlo as well as a somewhat-youthful look of Tully.
Special makeup effects supervisor Nicholas Podbrey does nice work with the look of some of the prosthetics that Marlo has during her pregnancy as well as a few mysterious things in the film. Visual effects supervisor Dave Morley does superb work with the visual effects as it relates to the dream that Marlo would have. Sound editors Perry Robertson and Scott Sanders do amazing work with the sound in capturing the sparse and low-key sounds at Marlo’s home as well as some raucous scenes at a few parties and clubs that Marlo and Tully would go to.
The film’s music by Rob Simonsen does wonderful work with the music with its mixture of ambient and indie-electric folk based guitars to play into some of the drama while music supervisor Tricia Halloran creates a wide array of music that features many artists/acts from different genres such as the Velvet Underground, Cyndi Lauper, the Bill Evans Trio, the Spinanes, A Tribe Called Quest, the Jayhawks, Ronnie Foster, Rufus Wainwright, Beulahbelle, Janine the Machine, Shannon and the Clams, Last Legion, Girl Band, and Hamilton Leithauser with Rostam Batmanglij.
The film’s incredible cast feature some notable small roles from Gameela Wright as a school principal, Stormy Ent as a young night-nanny working for Craig in Shasta, Maddie Dixon-Poirier and Bella Star Choy as Craig’s daughters, Colleen Wheeler as Dr. Smythe who is worried about Marlo’s health, Elaine Tan as Craig’s wife Elyse, and the duo of Lia Frankland and Asher Miles Fallica in their respective role as Drew and Marlo’s kids in Sarah and Jonah with the former being the oldest who is trying to find her own identity while being critical of herself while the latter is a young boy struggling with behavioral issues as he screams and kicks only to later find some form of solace. Mark Duplass is superb as Marlo’s brother Craig as a wealthy man who is offering to help out as he would give Marlo a number to get herself a night-nanny where he also expresses concern that Drew doesn’t like him.
Ron Livingston is excellent as Marlo’s husband Drew as a husband who is often away for work as he tries to help out focusing mainly on Sarah while is often unaware of what is going on at times where he would escape by playing video games. Mackenzie Davis is amazing as the titular character as a young night-nanny who helps Marlo out with the new baby as well as to get her to relax as she is also this offbeat and lively individual who helps bring out the best in Marlo while also being very coy about herself. Finally, there’s Charlize Theron in a phenomenal performance as Marlo Moreau as a 40-something mother of three who just gave birth to a newborn baby girl as she is tired from her maternal duties where Theron displays that anguish and weariness mothers go through but also display a determination and liveliness as it’s one of Theron’s finest performances to date.
Tully is a sensational film from Jason Reitman that features great performances from Charlize Theron and Mackenzie Davis. Along with its supporting cast, superb music soundtrack, and engrossing themes about the struggles of motherhood thanks in part to Diablo Cody’s thoughtful screenplay. It’s a film that explores a woman trying to be a good mom as she deals with the overwhelming duties of motherhood where she would get help from a mysterious yet kind young woman. In the end, Tully is a phenomenal film from Jason Reitman.
Jason Reitman Films: Thank You for Smoking - Juno - Up in the Air - Young Adult - Labor Day - (Men, Women, & Children) – The Front Runner - Ghostbusters: Afterlife - The Auteurs #30: Jason Reitman
© thevoid99 2019
