A portrait of depression with a wink and a smile. Went in resisting, but Nebraska defeated me in the end and tears did stream. Resembling an early Jaramucsh film with less humor and fewer beats per minute, Nebraska is a slow burn to say the least. There is an uncut  scene where an old woman leafs through a large book as she looks for an article that takes almost an entire minute of screen time . Don’t let that scare you off though, this an investment worth making. Solid and sentimental from beginning to end, Nebraska is chock full of truths in the character’s dialogue and in their actions. It’s a movie so simple in both, that it could have worked 40 years ago and is sure to work 40 years from now.

Bruce Dern and Will Forte make these truths not only acceptable, but all too believable, no matter how painful at times. Casting Forte here was bold, but somehow perfect and the movie works as a result . Allow yourself to forget that Alexander Payne not only directed, but coadapted the quick witted, fast moving  Election and you might be free to accept this modern day father and son ode to the director’s home state.

Posted on Monday, December 2nd, 2013 at 1:33 am and is filed under Uncategorized.
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