The End of the Tour - Un viaggio con David Foster Wallace

Rarely am I enlightened by a film in the way I was by this one. Not that I was lectured or taught something, but that I had a visceral response to what I had experienced on screen that I wouldn't be able to explain but to ask you to recall a song or a book or a show that invited you to pour your soul into it and in return reminded you of what it was like to have one. I was reminded that films can do this.

I don't expect everyone to like it to the degree that I did because I can only base my strong inclination towards this movie on the connection I personally made with it which was emotional rather than intellectual, although the film is rich and lingering in its intellect as well, and of course; I recognize what makes this film profound, which I'll try to explain.

This is a talky film from director James Ponsoldt, who I'd now have to rank as one of my favorite contemporary directors after this and another I've seen and loved, The Spectacular Now. This director isn't one you'd normally find on a list ranking among the greatest working today because he's not about style and doesn't appeal to the ego as much as other contemporaries such as Wes Anderson and David Fincher do (in addition to many others, not to single them out). No, Ponsoldt is subtle and reserves his ego. He is unimposing on the lives of his characters and candid about what his films are trying to do and say, not hiding beneath film rhetoric or allegory or the impression of a representational work. And what's great about this is how his films point out that you don't need intricate sets or perfectly symmetrical shots to create beauty. This film has some of the most beautiful shots I've seen (the shot of them walking in the snow, the shot of the normally- withdrawn Wallace dancing), all the more so because of their subtlety, giving the feeling that the beauty was discovered and not created by the director.

But the beauty is often created by the actors. Ponsoldt trusts his actors and puts his efforts towards making the characters come alive before our eyes. I was under the fantastic impression that I was witnessing a completely real human soul with Segel's performance. He felt so real, so three dimensional. I understand him, even though I am not him. This is more magical to me than sweeping camera movements or extravagant art direction.

I didn't realize when watching the film that the dialogue is all based on, if not directly taken from, the tapes journalist (and protagonist) David Lipsky (Eisenberg) recorded of his interviewee, universally acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace (Segel). The dialogue is rich with insight into the character's thought processes and their observations on life (but mostly those of Wallace). I was riveted at every moment the two were talking, feeling as though being revealed before me were the truths of life. The thrill of being a fly on the wall. And it's not just the words containing the wisdom of the thoughtful and complicated Wallace, but the delivery via the actors and the way in which the many hours of tape are edited to allow Wallace's ideas and observations to resonate. Even beyond Wallace's ideas, the film cuts to the core and observes Wallace as a human being, not different for his brilliance but the same for his humanness.

The film is about so many things it would be overwhelming to attempt list all of them. Its ideas, however many, are all-encompassing of what it means to exist, which is, beyond the desire for fame and ego-boosts, to want to be understood. The film observes how the inner-worlds of all people are so uniquely complicated and pays tribute to that wonder. I'll be relating my experiences to this film in time to come.

Prior to seeing this film, I had limited knowledge of David Foster Wallace and his works. After seeing the film, I wanted to learn more. The End of the Tour (dir. James Ponsoldt) is a very reflective film, highlighting author Wallace on the last stretch of his book tour for his novel Infinite Jest. Our entry point into this intriguing man is David Lipsky, a Rolling Stone reporter hired to do a piece on him in the late 1990s.

What little there is of plot is made up for in excellent characterization. The film is really all about existentialism, and thankfully it never leans towards pretentiousness. Rather there is an air of optimism about making your time on earth worthwhile. Wallace and Lipsky in a way represent two extremes of existentialism. Wallace is very relaxed, and takes his newfound celebrity with a grain of salt, while Lipsky is very Type-A, yet never brash or irritating. Lipsky has been trying to get his foot in the door as an author for a while now, while Wallace almost became famous overnight, and the film plays with the concept of "fame" in fun and unique ways. Through the film, Ponsoldt is able to explore these two extremes and find common ground between them, all while touching on the idea of fame and what it means to different people.

The script is outstanding, and hits all the right notes I touched on above. The dialogue between Lipsky and Wallace feels natural, nothing is forced. I wonder how much improvisation was done for the film, because the two seem like good friends from the moment they meet. There is a natural chemistry that draws these two characters together, and it's outstanding to watch on-screen. It's difficult to adapt a book like Lipsky's, which is mostly interviews and recording, as the book was published after Wallace's death in 2008. But screenwriter Donald Marguiles makes it work, and the result is an insightful, often hilarious film.

All this talk about chemistry would be a waste if it weren't for Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg as Wallace and Lipsky, respectively. Segel is a marvel as Wallace; it's a performance that doesn't demand much, yet Segel taps into all of Wallace's nuances and quirks. His delivery, cadence, and warmth almost makes it feel like you're talking to an old friend. It's a subtle performance that I hope is remembered come awards season. Eisenberg, too, is great. His reporter-type isn't very developed until the middle-end of the film, and he might come across as annoying for some. But he makes Lipsky tick as the curious interviewer wanting to learn more. He's driven by his desire to success, his want to make a successful piece for Rolling Stone, yet he ends up with a lot more.

The End of the Tour is a huge success. It isn't a very showy film, without much in the way of technical prowess, yet it's a talker. The realistic dialogue and blasé tone make the film feel like a 140 minute hang out with two good friends. Ponsoldt keeps a tight grip on the film's themes, never letting one overpower the film's true intentions. It's a wonderful ode to Wallace, and a funny one at that.

"The End of the Tour" is a hard-sell of a movie. While it features Jesse Eisenberg (whose career have been very hot) and Jason Segal and you'd think the film would have mass appeal, it clearly does not. This isn't a complaint--many of the films I really enjoy are really not the sorts of films that would entertain the most viewers. Instead, it's a film for a narrow audience and if you think you might be among those who would appreciate the movie, by all means watch it. After all, you will see some very nice acting and the story improves and gains momentum as the film progresses.

The story is about an odd sort of interview that took place when David Lipsky (Eisenberg) of Rolling Stone Magazine hung out with literary star David Foster Wallace (Segal) for several days back in the late 1990s. Cutting right to the chase, the film begins with the announcement that Wallace committed suicide and the film is a flashback as Lipsky remembers the strange and very lengthy meeting the two had back in 1996. As I said, this lasted days as the two just hung out together and talked...making it far different than a typical magazine interview.

As far as what they talk about and the themes of their meeting go, this really isn't something I can really explain very well in a review-- you just need to see it and experience it. Instead, I would rather try to convey the style of their time together on the film. It feels like you are a fly on the wall as two intellectuals talk and talk and talk....and talk. Wallace generally presents more as an 'Every Man' sort of guy while Lipsky seems, at times, as if he's trying to impress his new friend with his intellectual prowess. What all this means...well, that's really up to the viewer.

The bottom line is that if you really like action films, this film's is probably not for you. If you love 'literature' as opposed to just reading a book for enjoyment, this movie might be exactly what you'd love to see. As for me, I think I'm in the middle on this one. I can really respect the acting as well as the filmmakers' desire to make a quality picture as opposed to a mass-marketed film. But, on the other hand, the film is slow and very deliberate. It also took a while until I really stared to appreciated it...and I'm not if I ever exactly enjoyed it.

"Fiction's about what it is to be a human being." David Foster Wallace

In 1996 David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) interviewed acclaimed author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) over the course of several days in Minneapolis for a book tour about his 1000 page epic novel, Infinite Jest. Essentially a two hander in the spirit of the recent True Story, about the interview with alleged murderer Christian Longo (James Franco), The End of the Tour is one of the most accessible biopics about smart people in recent memory.

What sets The End off from True Story and other stories about gifted, troubled authors is its easy manner that doesn't play up intellectual snobbery but rather tries to understand the isolation and diffidence of geniuses. While Lipsky is not the genius writer that Wallace is, he is still a published novelist and a writer for Rolling Stone—the boy has the chops that allow him to get inside Wallace, as much as that is possible with writers slightly less private than, say, JD Salinger.

Wallace reveals himself, albeit obliquely, as a talented working class author bedeviled by addictions that seem to feed his insecurities: Obsessed by TV, he decides not to have one because he'd watch it; having overdosed on booze, he decides not to drink; whether or not he became addicted to heroin is uncertain.

What is certain is that as individualistic as Wallace is, and his densely verbose prose would confirm that, he is still one of us just trying to figure out his existential place in a chaotic world. His immersion in pop culture makes the brainy prose readable and enjoyable because he is tuned in and while heavily analytical, in touch with our daily experience.

Such is the spirit of The End of the Tour: it frequently relies on the mundane (e.g., pop tarts for breakfast, McDonald's for dinner, old TV shows for entertainment) to allow the more challenging—why he wears a bandanna—to reveal his soul (he worries that Lipsky's question about the affectation of the bandanna now makes himself conscious about wearing it, as if he were trying for an impression when he actually wasn't). His prose can be downright entertaining: "Because here's something else that's weird but true: in the day-to day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship."

Segel is a revelation as an actor. From mediocre romcoms to perfectly embodying a conflicted writer, Segel remains in low-key character throughout. Here's what Wallace says about the loneliness that was his constant companion before he committed suicide:

"Fiction is one of the few experiences where loneliness can be both confronted and relieved. Drugs, movies where stuff blows up, loud parties — all these chase away loneliness by making me forget my name's Dave and I live in a one-by-one box of bone no other party can penetrate or know. Fiction, poetry, music, really deep serious sex, and, in various ways, religion — these are the places (for me) where loneliness is countenanced, stared down, transfigured, treated." (The Pale King, 2011)

Introduce yourself to this verbal magician by seeing one of the best films of the year: The End of the Tour.

The End of the Tour is a revelation of two things: that Jason Segel is an immense actor, and that intellectual "roadtrip" films are a thing. This one in fact, boasts of a profound & moving story that listening to 2 hours worth of conversations, was a pleasure.

Jason Segel absolutely owned this film, with an eye opening & career-defining performance far from his usual comfortable roles in comedies. His portrayal of David Foster Wallace was so on point, that the complexities of the character naturally flourishes. Also, his expositions simply captivates. His robust & free flowing delivery leaves us, the audience, in the exact same position as Jesse Eisenberg's character - hanging onto his every detail, with a craving for more.

Apart from Segel's Oscar worthy delivery, the illuminating subject matters were just as mesmerizing. As our leads converse on love, loneliness, fame, career & social trends, the film then connects on a personal level, in more ways than one. It is a kind of film that invites self-reflection & embeds ideas on how to live life.

Overall, The End of the Tour is a film that imparts reverence for the character that is David Foster Wallace, by way of picking through the brains of the great writer. It does so through incredibly true and entertaining intellectual discussions that offers the film's inspiring moments. Brilliantly acted, thought provoking and profoundly moving, this independent film demands deeper appreciation, and I happily oblige.