Joaquin Phoenix returns as an uncle who had to take care of his nephew while working on a project asking kids and teenagers about the future.
For about like 30 minutes I wasn't sure what the movie was trying to do. There's some quotes from books or works that didn't feel like they belong to the movie. Then the interview with the kids also felt random.
However, this beautiful piece of film took its time to grow on me and suck me into the conversations. The most endearing aspect was the sweet yet frustrating relationship between Joaquin Phoenix's character, the uncle who's acting like a father figure to his nephew, played by Woody Norman. It's a journey on learning to be a parent and understanding a child's diverse and complicated mindset. Both characters had a lot of cute moments together, but in between were also dark, confusing, and frustrating moments that made you feel like kids are the worst thing ever. Phenomenal performances by Phoenix and especially the kid Norman made the relationship ever more convincing.
As for the series of interviews, they took awhile before I saw how they connected to the theme of parenting. It's fascinating how these kids can have such deep and mature thoughts. There were so many interviews that lasted until the end of the credits.
Aesthetically, this movie looked beautiful. The black-and-white look along with the music and recordings from Joaquin Phoenix created a calming and immersive atmosphere that invited me to listen to the conversations.
Overall, what an emotional, thoughtful, and breathtaking film. 8.5-9/10.
For about like 30 minutes I wasn't sure what the movie was trying to do. There's some quotes from books or works that didn't feel like they belong to the movie. Then the interview with the kids also felt random.
However, this beautiful piece of film took its time to grow on me and suck me into the conversations. The most endearing aspect was the sweet yet frustrating relationship between Joaquin Phoenix's character, the uncle who's acting like a father figure to his nephew, played by Woody Norman. It's a journey on learning to be a parent and understanding a child's diverse and complicated mindset. Both characters had a lot of cute moments together, but in between were also dark, confusing, and frustrating moments that made you feel like kids are the worst thing ever. Phenomenal performances by Phoenix and especially the kid Norman made the relationship ever more convincing.
As for the series of interviews, they took awhile before I saw how they connected to the theme of parenting. It's fascinating how these kids can have such deep and mature thoughts. There were so many interviews that lasted until the end of the credits.
Aesthetically, this movie looked beautiful. The black-and-white look along with the music and recordings from Joaquin Phoenix created a calming and immersive atmosphere that invited me to listen to the conversations.
Overall, what an emotional, thoughtful, and breathtaking film. 8.5-9/10.