Lonesome Jim

Jim (Casey Affleck) has just returned home to his parents house in the Midwest. Being an aspiring writer who loved living in Manhattan, this is cruel and unusual punishment. However, his two part time jobs didn't pay the bills so, thank goodness, Mother Sally (Mary Kay Place) is happy to see him. Father Don (Seymour Cassel) is less enthusiastic, probably because the couple's other son, Tim (Kevin Corrigan) is living with them, too, thanks to divorce and a low-paying job. Naturally, the parents urge Jim to "do something", after the first few days, so the young man reluctantly accepts a job at the factory run by his mother. He also meets a beautiful, single-parent nurse, Anika (Liv Tyler) at a local watering hole and they begin a relationship of convenience. But, nothing ever seems to make Jim come out of his perpetual "funk" and he fails to connect with anyone, except perhaps a pot smoking co-worker. Will Jim bring everyone around him down, too, even his always-sunny mom? Can he get his "act together"? Viewers who put this into their DVD players may not feel like watching after the first half hour. It is fairly depressing, despite some sporadic but successful "gallows" humor. However, those who choose to stick it out may appreciate the sharp life observations. The cast is really very nice, with Affleck doing a truly great job in a difficult role. Place, Cassel, Tyler, Corrigan and the other lesser role players are impressive, too. Appropriately, the setting is fairly nondescript and won't charm anyone while the costumes are well-chosen but far from attractive. The script has its moments of humor and pathos, almost too real for comfort. Then, too, the slow pace and undistinguished edit hurt its success, too. There are some fun moments, as when Jim goes bar hopping among the three local watering holes, named Riki's 1, 2 and 3. But, all in all, this is a grim flick, which will never earn the word "entertainment". Therefore, stay away, unless you are a fan of the cast or a serious student of film-making. Lonesome Jim will ultimately attract only a few "lone wolf" admirers.

You can object to the choice to make this film about a so-called depressive. You can object that Jim doesn't just snap out of it. But of all the things you can say about Lonesome Jim, you can't say it is badly made.

This film is like a meditation: it totally clears the mind of everything else and allows you to focus on what is there in front of you.

The grainy film did not strike me as low quality or cheap. It made the film like watching home movies; there is nothing glamorous about this scene. It was totally in keeping with the theme of muted emotion. The graininess sometimes slows things down so much that the characters appear to be talking through the haze of their dull surroundings, and they are the liveliest things about the situation. It almost transforms film into a cartoon drama by the younger sibling.

Is the main character Jim (Casey Affleck) suffering from depression? Well, alright. But that assessment papers over the interesting sources of the emotion stifling: the relationship between son and parents, and how he has subverted his personality with them; and the relationship he has with the rest of his hometown.

The whole thing is so real – we especially digest meaning during Jim's driving scenes, inevitably at twilight when the post industrial fading rural landscape is at its most evocative, stirring feelings of profound longing and sadness.

(There must be a retrospective of Sensitive Boy flicks somewhere. To my recollection, Ordinary People could be the first in the series, but among the others, and I'm sure there are many, many more than I can think of here, are You Can Count on Me, and Imaginary Heroes. I've also heard that Garden State could be slotted in there, but I haven't seen it.)

This is a brilliant film.

So why not give it 10 out of 10? Because we do not know yet if it will stand the test of time. Already Ordinary People does not pack the same punch as did 20 odd years ago. Also, these films have a relatively small theme. So though while intense and delicate in emotional depiction, their reach is rather narrow and might not possess any universal themes. They are particularly US-centric. Which is fine, but it precludes them from greatness.

...a few bright moments to break up the grey times.

It's a fair representation of what so much of the midwest is about: a bit about futility, about a lifeless life, yet still containing a few bright moments. And having hope.

The digital film present a dull grey-red tone to the proceedings...not engaging to the eye but it seemed to fit the mood. The characters, while not sympathetic, were nicely developed. The events, even those seemingly "large" ones, do not develop the magnitude that might be expected. But that's how life usually works.

This is a much better view than the low marks indicate, but it's not great film-making either. It is a good Indie movie, and one that encourages a look at Buscemi's future projects.

This is a great film which superbly walks the balance between bleak and hopeful, without ever becoming annoyingly angst ridden or overtly perky. Mary Kay Place, who has been such a solid supporting performer throughout her career, is Oscar worthy as the ever optimistic mom who shows layers upon layers with the simplest gesture -- a wonderful, comic performance. It would be a true tragedy, however likely it is, if the distributors do not put some muscle into a campaign in her favor. Buscemi's direction and the tightrope walk of a script is captivating throughout. Shot on mini-dv and certainly there have been better shot dv features. Film tends to get real noisy in the darks, and the titles during opening credits break to pixels. Too bad too, because it is unlikely this film will be taken as seriously as it deserves to be because the filmmakers/producers failed to take time/cost to make it right.

If you've ever felt bored, alone, defeated, then you'll love Lonesome Jim. If you're from or have ever visited the Midwest for a significant amount of time, you'll love this movie. The portrayal of Jim, a 28-year-old failure who returns home after an attempt at 'making it' in NY as a writer is completely relateable to anyone. Who hasn't had a big dream, tried and failed? The cinematography is is sad and beautiful all at once; the direction is flawless; Casey Affleck (who I'm usually not the hugest fan of) is perfect in the portrayal. And lets not forget Mary Kay Place. She was amazing. James Strouse wrote such a tragic and heart-wrenching role for her; you ache when Jim says to her "I don't know...sometimes people just shouldn't be parents". This film is filled with great lines like this that just exude pathos. Subtle brilliance is the exact phrase to describe this movie. Thing is, you don't even have to love it in order to appreciate how moving it is. It was a great cast, great director, and Roger Ebert (who I'm usually not a huge fan of either) said it best when he called LJ 'a masterpiece of mood'. That it is, my friends; that it is.