La obra maestra

Being Flynn (2012)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Touching and mostly depressing film about a young man (Paul Dano) trying to make his way into life but things change when he sees his father (Robert DeNiro) staying at the homeless shelter he's working in. The father and son haven't seen each other in nearly twenty-years but soon the son starts to realize that this might have been a good thing. I really wasn't sure what to expect going into BEING FLYNN but I came out extremely impressed and I honestly can't remember the last time I watched a current movie and felt more for the characters involved. Not only do we have the father and son relationship but there's also the flashbacks with the mother (Julianne Moore), the son's relationship with a co-worker (Olivia Thirlby) and other small characters that we meet. The amazing thing is that the screenplay makes you feel for each of them with all their problems. I think one of the greatest assets is of course the performances with DeNiro leading the way. It seems over the past decade "film buffs" have complained about the type of roles that the actor has been taken. Of course, whenever he does turn in quality work like here or in EVERYBODY'S FINE, no one goes and sees the film, which is a real shame as both offer the actor at the top of his game. The character he plays here is at times funny, at times hateful and there are times where you don't want to see him again. The character is a racist, sexist and there's no question that he's a drunk, a deadbeat father and a crazy person. The way DeNiro plays all of this is pure perfection and shows that the actor still has that magic. The way DeNiro not only delivers the lines but also watch the small things he does with the look of the character, the way he moves and even the expressions he gives. Dano stands right up there with him and the two characters are so different that they're both able to stand strong against each other. I was also impressed with Moore, although she doesn't appear in too many scenes. Thirlby is also lovely in her part of the girlfriend and I thought she nearly stole every scene in which she appeared. The appeal of BEING FLYNN is going to be small, I mean, after all this is a depressing, raw and open look at relationships and bad ones at that. The film isn't always easy to watch but the characters are so full and you want to love them so much that it's easy to be drawn into the story. BEING FLYNN is certainly a special little gem and best of all is that it features DeNiro at the top of his game.

How much we inherit from our parents doesn't necessary make us become who we really are. Some might take pride into extending the tradition while others might fight against any residue of similarity to prove otherwise.

"Being Flynn" is a beautiful drama based on a true story of survival and search for one's self. It is tragically positive as we grow with the character of Paul Dano, very nicely played, to discover new possibilities are always possible when you put your mind to it, navigating through your troubles and finding strength and determination within yourself. De Niro is absolutely amazing as an estranged father who thinks highly of himself, in spite of all his shortcomings. It's a rewarding experience that delivers a good message of the importance of finding out who you are and validating your existence.

If you're looking for a light drama or comedy, don't choose Being Flynn. But if you want to see the masterful acting of Robert DeNiro and Paul Dano, and you're up for serious subject matter, this is an outstanding film. The script does not sugar-coat any aspects of addiction or homelessness. It tells it like it is. The key characters are multi-dimensional, and I found myself rooting for them at times and wanting to kick their butts at other times. Besides the obvious subject matter of addiction and homelessness, the film also address the challenges we all have dealing with whether we are or are not our parents -- or at least looking at parts of ourselves we don't like that we also don't like in our parents. And the feelings of guilt and shame experience by Nick over the death of his mother are palpable.

The only thing I found disconcerting was that fact that it was supposed to be set in Boston and, with the exception of one recognizable Boston location, it was so obviously filmed in New York.

Being a bio, i must definitely say that it's a very interesting film about really interesting characters. Yeah, some will claim that a film without interesting characters is not an interesting film, which is true anyways. But fine: back to the main subject, 'Being Flynn' is an above average bio in my opinion.

The story about characters without any hope and saddened by the life and the consequences of it, is a thing that happens everyday with . The situation and the why people turns to be homeless is a subject explored and showed in a clever and entertaining way, without any distortions to make it look more 'interesting' for the viewer.

The editing, though very inconsistent in simple scenes, played a big part in the film's conception. The film wouldn't be as half as interesting without the good job done in that aspect.

I loved Paul Dano and Deniro's performances. Both were very good. Deniro as the grumpy old man and Dano as the character without direction in his life.

Overall, a flawed film, specifically the last twenty minutes or so, that really prejudiced a then fine film. Still, a solid 7.0/10

I really liked this film… a lot. As with a lot of movies based on life the story weaves about a bit. But I particularly like the way the narrative kept switching between son and farther, giving insights and snippets of past and present life. Very character driven storyline and this movie is a good antidote against the high budget, high gloss, special effect driven Hollywood movies… which I also like, don't get me wrong. But in the words of REM, "sometimes you need something more sub sub sub substantial." Both Robert De Niro and Paul Dano give strong performances, but I do slightly worry that Paul Dano might keep being typecast as the lost creative sensitive type. It was nice to see De Niro in a non-comedic role, which he seems to play recently. And it's a good reminder of here is an actor that can act.

Well worth watching in my opinion. Don't expect the movie to be wrapped up nice and neat at the end. I couldn't see how they would be able to do that without resorting to Hollywood cliché's. I'm still astounded this is by the same director (Paul Weitz), who directed the frighteningly bad Little Fockers.