When you’re a screenwriter, you are told over and over again, that film is all about the visuals. Yes dialogue is important, but it’s the pictures that have the most impact.
That is certainly the case, when it comes to the black and white film, ‘Nebraska’, brillantly directed by Alexander Payne.
Simply put, this film is absolutely exquisite and equally exquisite is, Bruce Dern’s performance. This is the best performance of his career and come Oscar time, his name will certainly be on the Best Actor list.
Bruce plays, Woody a man nearing the end of his life, who may or may not have dementia.
This is a man who doesn’t say much and most of the time, his attention is somewhere far, far away.
When the film starts out, Woody, a life long alcoholic, who lives with his wife, Kate (the wonderful June Squibb) and his son, David (Will Forte) in Montana, gets a flyer in the mail, stating that he won a one million dollars sweepstakes.
All he has to do is travel to the sweepstakes office in Nebraska, to collect the prize.
Even though David and his brother, television.newsman, Ross (Bob Odenkirk) try to convince Woody it’s a scam, he refuses to believe them. He’s going to Nebraska, even if he has to walk there. And wait to you see Woody’s walk…
To appease him, David agrees to drive Woody to Nebraska and what an amazing trip this turns out to be.
‘Nebraska’ brilliantly written by first time screenwriter, Bob Nelson, is a road film, that takes us into the heartland of America and it does this, with incredible images, thanks to the genius of Phedon Papamichael, Payne’s long time cinematographer.
The film also takes us deep into Woody’s life…his past and his present.
We meet Woody’s extended, wonderfully odd family, his childhood friends, including Ed Pegram, (Stacy Keech) and learn who this old, cantankerous, cold man, really is.
We also find out why this money is so important to him.
‘Nebraska’ is a must see for anyone who loves movies in their purest form. There are no special effects…just great characters that tell a story, with their whole being.
I gave ‘Nebraska’ which opens in theatres, Friday November 15, 2013, five bagels out of five and SURPRISE, so did John.
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