New York banker Davis Mitchell (Jake Gyllenhaal) loses his wife and sees the house of cards of his self-indulgent life collapse. Flashbacks, jump cuts and casual remarks suggest repressed emotions and memories that are trying to come to the surface. His letters of complaint about a defective candy dispenser contain ever more personal confessions, to the fascination of customer service employee and single mother Karen Moreno (Naomi Watts). In the meanwhile, Mitchell looks for footing in the physicality of demolition work, because “if you want to fix something, you have to take everything apart”, in the words of his father-in-law (Chris Cooper).
The actor’s director Jean-Marc Vallée (two acting Oscars for Dallas Buyers Club, two acting Oscar nominations for Wild) easily switches between psychological (melo)drama and (romantic) comedy, and does not shy away from stylistic gimmicks such as a bit of film played backwards.
Film details
- Country of production
- USA
- Year
- 2015
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2016
- Length
- 100"
- Medium/Format
- DCP
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