For Ellen

Why would you do that? Why would you filch the ending from an all-time classic when it doesn't even make sense in your own story and it's anyway only going to underline how vastly inferior your film is?

It's strangely maddening to me. But at least, at the end of a hopelessly pointless film about a sad guy drifting around entirely uninterestingly, it reminds us that slice-of-life character studies like this can actually work.

I am pretty sure that a lot of people will not like this film due to the slow pace but it's most definitely worth a watch. Paul Dano the main actor has done a great job in his career and this is no exception, he carries this film all the way through and although he plays a very passive role you have to look a little beyond this to realise it.

A fantastic film from So Yong Kim and the cast. This was visually effective too. One scene that stood out for me was the bar scene (not going into any details for people reading this). Definitely a high rated film and executed well.

Make sure you give this film a view.

Some movies are for fun. Some movies are for adventure. Some movies are art and are actually a "film" For Ellen is art. Yes it is slow, yes it has few words and little action. This film is about emotions that do not need laughs and action to be nurtured. Dano is approaching Oscar level acting at a very young age. I can't wait to see his skills grow and deepen. This movie is sad because that is what the characters are feeling! It is powerful and emotional and really well made. I don't have much else to say except that a lot of movie goers expect to be surprised with original twist and plot turns, but are not impressed with deliberate quality. This film is deliberate and delivers quality.

Joby Taylor (Paul Dano) is a failed musician who just got divorced. He is estranged from his ex and his daughter. Essentially he is a complete mess. He needs to work out custody of his girl Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo) and in the process hopefully reconnect with her.

Paul Dano is able to play this part well. However I think it took too long to get to the girl. It felt repetitive to see him as a loser for that long. It stagnated the film. For the film to work, it needs to get to the girl quicker. I hate to complain about a little girl's performance. But she added very little to the emotional feel. She is stone-faced thru most of her screen time. Although it could be argued that it is called for, it's hard to act back and forth without 1 side participating.

For Ellen (2012) follows a musician who neglected his personal life to follow his dream, who then ends up in a fight with his ex-wife for custody of his young daughter. This film was beautiful, and although slow, I was constantly engaged due to Paul Dano's flawless and heartbreaking performance.

This film is an intimate portrait of a man with no idea what he wants in his life, who feels truly hopeless. The protagonist (Joby) is deeply flawed but I still felt sorry for him. Paul Dano was incredibly and this film really shows his range. All the acting was very good, and I loved the interactions between Joby and his daughter as they started off very awkward but you could tell he was trying his best. The dialogue was strong as well and kept me invested.

The pacing was slow and steady, with a very mellow tone that made the film genuinely sad. It also felt brutally realistic and I'm sure will resonate with a lot of people. The ending feels refreshing whist also being melancholic and leaves a lot up to the audience's interpretation.

The themes were very strong and were a big part of what made this film so heavy and impactful for me. It really shows the negative elements of the music industry too, and how it doesn't leave time for family.

Lastly, the cinematography and visuals were quite simplistic but this worked well. The setting felt isolated, and added to the sadness and hopelessness the main character experiences. There were a lot of great long, slow shots that invoked a lot of emotional for me personally.