Tim Blake Nelson continues to impress us with his range. Bringing a compelling goofy character to the screen in O Brother, Where Art Thou? and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, here Nelson takes a sharp turn and delivers a more understated and somber performance. Given that in these earlier roles he brought an impressive singing voice to the screen, here he is well cast to deliver as an end-of-the road musician trying to navigate the intricacies of grief and redemption. His earlier ghosts seem to overshadow if not completely impinge the goalposts of his future, which seem to continue to move further away. His surprisingly nuanced delivery is magnetic. In Nelson’s prior roles his vulnerability was surrounded by the goofiness of his character, but here that vulnerability is more subtle and ultimately more haunting.
Mostly hidden by a bushy beard, Nelson’s character unfolds slowly. As his daughter, Chloë Kerwin forces Nelson to deal with a past he’d rather forget. In addition to the strong cast and solid screenplay, two elements of the film solidly contribute to its effectiveness.
First, the film’s atmosphere is intricately woven with a hauntingly sparse score that blends perfectly with its contemplative pace. Given the main character’s background as a musician, the spare piano and subtle string arrangements are poignant. Second, cinematographer Tatjana Krstevski does a great job with the overall look of the film, capturing the emotional tug of the scenes effectively.
Kudos to Director Elise Thompson for successfully shaping a film that draws in the viewer with a well-crafted combination of character, story line, music and visual cues.
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