James White

I just did not expect... that. Great respect to Josh Mond. I think he took on an incredibly heavy film that managed to feel incredibly visceral in its portrayal. I could physically feel it, its last 30 minutes probably being the most uncomfortable film-watching experience of any film from 2015. What makes it work so well are the performances. There's such an innate authenticity and raw power to the cast's work here. I've liked Christopher Abbott from what I've seen him in, most notably Girls. I never would have thought he was capable of what he did here though. Definitely one of the best performances of last year. Not a fun film to watch at all, but holding that as a criticism would be a complete disservice to everything the film does well.

James White (Christopher Abbott) is caught in an endless cycle of self-destruction. He has just lost his father and fears losing his ailing mother (Cynthia Nixon) who he has been taking care of for years. He spends his days drinking, sleeping around and lashing out at others, doing anything to avoid confronting his grief and emotions, which he keeps under the surface, bubbling and waiting to burst. Life has been unfair to him, and this behaviour that manifested sabotages any chance of career or personal growth. He might be using his mother's condition as an excuse not to step out of his comfort zone and try harder in life, which is reasonable to some extent, but he can't seem to change. In his prime, he is jobless and taking his mother's couch as a bed.

This narratively loose drama doesn't offer anything particularly new in giving us a glimpse into the struggles, both internal and external, faced by James. There is not much closure or emotional reward to be given. This is summed up perfectly in one of the very few scenes in which we see James surrendering to his emotions, crying while repeatedly yelling "I don't know what to do".

The best aspect of the film is the acting. Nixon gives an authentic, heartbreaking performance that's understated. Abbott, on the other hand, is given a character that requires patience and sensitivity to sympathize with. James internalizes many complex emotions throughout the film and what goes on in his mind is not always clear to the audience. It's a tricky act to balance but Abbott pulls it off. Their mother-son relationship is the only thing that's certain in their lives and is the core of the film.

The film could have very well ended during its most powerful and stirring scene with James and his mother in the toilet. She can't get up, so they sit and talk about what their ideal life would be like and the future they had hope for. They feel at peace as both of them stay in this moment, still and smiling. This is when the bleak reality of the film truly sets in, as we see these people, both kind and full of dreams and desires, trapped in an unfortunate life.

James White is one of my favorite films. The whole thing is such an emotional roller coaster with powerful gut punches of emotion. There is such genius behind this film it feels criminal how underrated this movie is. Everyone, from the actors to the directors to the editors, gave 1000%, and I couldn't recommend a film more.

If you are looking for a film that you will learn something from you have chosen the wrong one. That's not a knock on the quality of this piece, but it is a fact. This is the difficult to sit through story of a reckless young NYC man, with a violent temper, who has never been able to get his act together and is now in the midst of experiencing the death of his father, who he was not close to and hadn't seen much of, and his mother who is dying of cancer who he is very devoted to and vice versa. He takes care of her the best he can, when booze, drugs and women don't get in the way and when things get really bad he never leaves her side. The principal reason to watch this very sad piece is the excellent writing and the outstanding performances of Christopher Abbott and Cynthia Nixon. One forgets how capable Nixon is since we rarely see her in anything other than her role of Miranda in Sex and the City and more recently And Just Like That. She has a long history in theater and she is an excellent actress who is highly underused. Abbott on the other hand is a little bit newer to the game, but works a lot and has offered some fascinating performances in small independent films and he has impressed me greatly including here. The man is just a natural born actor who never gives a false note in anything I have seen him in. This is an actor who wants to do creative things outside of the Hollywood scene. I also appreciated Kid Cudi as James' best friend. So, watch this if you like fine acting and are in the mood to be sad.

Christopher Abbott and Cynthia Nixon have found fine homes on HBO screens. Abbott is perhaps mostly known for his role on Girls while Nixon will forever be a Sex in the City girl. Here in James White, they deliver perhaps their finest performances of their careers thus far. The film thrives off the compassion in their relationship and the way it tests James' love for his mother Gail, but unfortunately to the expense of what lies on the sidelines. There's an endearing affection between James and his best friend Nick, but it offers little backstory or arc, simply the type of wishful thinking support considering the situations. The film also lends an entire chapter to James growing close with a girl who becomes his girlfriend, but as soon as the film retreats back home to tend to Gail she's completely tossed aside as another periphery character.

That is part of the point though, taking care of her is all consuming and it contrasts the conditions of romantic love with the unconditional family love. Despite little dips into history, the film grew on me as it went on with Abbott impressing at every turn, subverting the brutish James to an empathetic son. Nixon does feel like she's trying too hard at first, but once the film submits to her and she succumbs to the worst of her cancer, she's as good as Abbott. Shot by the same cinematography as Son of Saul, New York is no less of a compelling setting than Auschwitz, focusing on intimacy with the characters, but again it's heart by choppy editing. The jump cuts give it a difficult rhythm to crack. It's limited and intense, and I certainly would've like a little more bittersweet hints at a future to really send the film home, but as an acting showcase James White is a powerhouse.

8/10