Films

I loved the film, and thought the 'flaws' in the protagonist were part of it's charm. Nothing dramatic happened, he wasn't a child prodigy, the movie was just a narrative on what it is like to be an average kid in the US. I certainly wasn't breaking any barriers when I was 18.

FWIW, I realise it's an attempt to show just a regular family. But it's also saying the no families are regular, that every one has subtleties and politics and a story. Is it a documentary? No, so what is saying? For film that has an uncompromising lack of narrative arc, there are one too many moments where it felt contrived. Like when the Mexican thanks the mother for sending him in the right direction with his life and career. And the arresting beauty of the guy's girlfriend, and the borderline comedic drunk second husband (that could almost have been Will Ferrell). I just didn't understand the point of it all.

I usually love films like this, but this just wasn't very enjoyable for me, no matter how earnest its intentions. And the 12 year watch-the-boy-grow-up thing seemed a gimmick. The boringness of the main guy just stopped me from engaging with the film as much as I would have liked to. He is the least interesting part of the whole film and that was a shame for me. I wanted him to seem affected by his situation and the people around him, but he's virtually an inanimate object for most of it, and occasionally an irritating, arrogant dick who doesn't realise how lucky he is.

I really like Alexander Payne's films, they seem real, they deal with ordinary life and they are full of warmth. But they also have a point. I'm rambling and probably overthinking it.