Biopics or movies based on true events are not of great interest to me usually, although this year I really enjoyed Straight Outta Compton. This flick, which was based on true events, was extremely well-acted like many biopics such as Ray, Crazy Heart, or The Theory of Everything. I wouldn't go as far as calling this movie a biopic though as it only accounts for about one week in the life of David Foster Wallace (and David Lipsky for that matter). Rather than being about David Foster Wallace specifically, this film is mainly about Lipsky's experience with Wallace and his reaction to that experience.
The main plot of the film is a little uninteresting in my opinion - neither of the two are sure whether they'll be friends as Lipsky begins to interview Wallace, they become friends, they have a falling out but quickly become friends again before Lipsky leaves. What is more interesting about this film is the subtext - is Lipsky being genuine to Wallace or is he just playing Wallace to get the right story out of him?
Jesse Eisenberg seems to be his quirky self, and then his character becomes unlikable as in his role as Mark Zuckerberg when we see him going through Wallace's personal space trying to find something, but we don't quite know what it is. Later in the film we come to understand Lipsky's boss wants him to press Wallace about a rumored heroine addiction, but Wallace is such a likable guy that Lipsky continues to wait to delve into this rumor as to not make Wallace uncomfortable.
The best scene in the film - a scene which will probably get Jason Segel an Oscar nomination - consists of Wallace revealing the truth about the heroine addiction to Lipsky and commenting on the worst parts of his life, which is absolutely heartbreaking since the film begins 12 years past the interview with Lipsky getting a call that Wallace has committed suicide. I wasn't sure whether this film would have a clear climax, but I'm glad it did and that Segel's monologues he gives at the climax were very well written with great attention to thought and thematic content.
I read somewhere this film was supposed to be humorous, and it was, but very occasionally. When there was humor though, it was actually very funny. A decent film based on true events, but you should experience Segel's performance as David Foster Wallace.
3.0/4.0
The main plot of the film is a little uninteresting in my opinion - neither of the two are sure whether they'll be friends as Lipsky begins to interview Wallace, they become friends, they have a falling out but quickly become friends again before Lipsky leaves. What is more interesting about this film is the subtext - is Lipsky being genuine to Wallace or is he just playing Wallace to get the right story out of him?
Jesse Eisenberg seems to be his quirky self, and then his character becomes unlikable as in his role as Mark Zuckerberg when we see him going through Wallace's personal space trying to find something, but we don't quite know what it is. Later in the film we come to understand Lipsky's boss wants him to press Wallace about a rumored heroine addiction, but Wallace is such a likable guy that Lipsky continues to wait to delve into this rumor as to not make Wallace uncomfortable.
The best scene in the film - a scene which will probably get Jason Segel an Oscar nomination - consists of Wallace revealing the truth about the heroine addiction to Lipsky and commenting on the worst parts of his life, which is absolutely heartbreaking since the film begins 12 years past the interview with Lipsky getting a call that Wallace has committed suicide. I wasn't sure whether this film would have a clear climax, but I'm glad it did and that Segel's monologues he gives at the climax were very well written with great attention to thought and thematic content.
I read somewhere this film was supposed to be humorous, and it was, but very occasionally. When there was humor though, it was actually very funny. A decent film based on true events, but you should experience Segel's performance as David Foster Wallace.
3.0/4.0