REVIEW: C'MON, C'MON

4/5

C'mon Away With Me.

108 Mins. Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Scoot McNairy, Molly Webster & Woody Norman. Director: Mike Mills. 

Motoring through the Rock City of Detroit like the piston of Mark Wahlberg in a 'Four Brothers', 'Trouble Man' Winter. Heading to the City of Angels like all those with fallen wings in Hollywood. California dreaming on a nearby beach that lulls them like a gondola in Venice. Believing in Oakland like a Warrior for all those from the Golden State who make a splash. Making way to New York, New York because one visit isn't enough in the city that never sleeps, from Central Park sunrises to the blinking lights of Times Square on New Year as the ball drops. All to the Mardi Gras of Crescent City of New Orleans that's endured more than corona. It survived Katrina. Black and white postcards are the perfect portrait and all we get right now in this socially isolated time of quarantined travel. But the classic cinematography in moving monochrome of Mike Mills will take you back there like 'C'mon, C'mon'. Especially for this writer who moving Far East took one last trip to New York City (that really does have a finality to it right now) for the fourth of July 2019. The warm sepia like glow I felt when seeing this new New York skyline developing all the time in the frame of Mills' wide lens was then filled with melancholy. As I wanted to try and express in whispers to the friend sat next to me and share. For they felt the same way the first time they took a bite out of the Big Apple too. I get it now. I get why my parents took us to Paris so many times as children. Like I did when I reignited the romance of the city with an old flame years back. Mum and Dad just wanted us to feel what they felt when they shined in the City of Light. And boy did it all shine. I get it now and it just took that one moment. Oh, how I miss them back like home like I hope I could come for Christmas this year. C'mon.

Because this movie. Starring fresh off an Oscar for being one of the best as 'The Joker' in the pack and introducing the inspired British 'Troy' and 'Poldark' (it must be the hair) BBC actor Woody Norman to American audiences, is a lyrical love letter to not just these lost to most of us cities, but family. Especially of the unspoken bond and untold story of brother and sister. Oh, how I miss mine too. My idol. This one being with the great Gabby Hoffman. Currently giving the Buss family a run for their Showtime Hollywood money in HBO and Adam Mckay's purple and controversial 'Winning Time-The Rise Of The Lakers'. But I just knew I recognised this famous face from somewhere. More than the standard IMDB search. Or what she's known for now ('Girls'), apart from her tenacious talent. It didn't click until it was almost too late. Everyone talks about Culkin 'Home Alone'. But she was the sweet little sister in 'Uncle Buck' (not to mention a child star in 'Field Of Dreams' and 'Sleepless In Seattle' too) who didn't want her hair to be brushed and told Mac to almost both hand to both cheek slapping response that they "should really start brushing (their) teeth." You can't deny the eyes that are the soul. And holding ours in this timeless family film she felt like part of ours. In our living rooms with John Candy and them since we were babies every Christmas until now. Even on Zoom. No wonder this film feels like family. It beats with the heart of my own. Hoffman threatens to steal the show even from a career best Phoenix and a rising Norman on his adolescent acting breakout. That's when classic character actor Scoot McNairy (who has being doing this now for longer than you think) isn't showing how much he can make the most of even spare screen time to change a narratives course. Movies like this mine more meaning than what an Oscars envelope says, with a human touch. That's all become a happy slapping farce now. It's all just buzz to feed a few weeks of social media anyway. Real art is storytold forever. And this one as classic as its colourless picture is in an Academy of its own.

'Parasite'. 'Logan'. 'Mad Max'. They've all given us their black and white versions in rich texture to get back to the raw nature of straight storytelling. The former dual Oscar winner even giving you different camera angels for a different, more insightful look into what's really going on. But this one roams on its own like 'Roma'. Originally this way, even though we may want to see a version in living colour one day. The Fun Lovin' Criminals once gave us a classic New York aura album called 'Come Find Yourself'. And coming of age this is exactly what 'C'mon, C'mon' does. Mike Mills has been doing this since he was a 'Beginner'. Whether it's with '20th Century Women' (and surely planting a seed with great director Greta Gerwig) or performing it over 25 minutes from cradle to grave with the amazing Alicia Vikander ('I Am Easy To Find') on YouTube (and surely planting a black and white seed with this, c'mon). Joaquin Phoenix is all about this too. Whether telling you 'I'm Not There'. Or being 'The Master' of his surroundings. Even next to another Hoffman in the late, great Philip. And now we get to see what Woody is really made of in all his childlike wonder and marvellous mischief. But the best camera trick this monochrome movie plays is not in style, but substance. And a boom mic like an outtake. Seeing Phoenix tour America with a child (and the magnificent Molly Webster) in tow like he was raising Arizona, we get to see real and raw interviews with the youth of today. That is all profound and powerful, no false note anywhere. What more can you expect from movies from the amazing A24 production company? It's the real beat of humanity in this passion project from Mills that is more than just what fills a film schedule now it's made its way to the Spring of Japan here, far from its fall Western release. But just like a late review. Real movies need to be seen, heard and talked about in all forms. Like this one's laced up promotion partnership with Converse. C'mon. Why are you still reading and not watching this? C'mon, c'mon, c'mon. Knock, knock on the kitchen table. TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Further Filming: '20th Century Women', 'The Lost Daughter', 'Gifted'.