Being Flynn

It's as heavy as a sack of hammers. The story is interesting but is told in a messy way. Time and pacing are issues. Not only are there numerous flashbacks that are jarring, but we get no sense of how long certain problems have been going on for certain characters. What feels like a few days or weeks ends up being months or years. Good performances make it watchable.

Paul Weitz is a middling director who has made a couple of halfway entertaining films. This is the first to utterly waste it's talent so blatantly. Also who's decision was it not to go with the AKA title? " Another Bullshit Night in Suck City"?

Despite several big names and a slew of woe-is-me plot points, you can never really empathize with the characters or get into their heads, as it were. You've got your typical substance abuse and homelessness that seems to be a hit on The Lifetime Channel, but if not done with some tact and a great script, has a hard time gaining traction among people who don't need to be reminded of how shitty other peoples lives are to feel better about their own.

De Niro and Dano's performances are the highlight here, but the rest of the film is a little messy. Tries too hard to be profound or heavy, but consistently misses its mark.

I think there's a compelling flick to be made from this material... this wasn't it. TERRIBLE structure, mediocre direction. De Niro gives an excellent performance--it's worth sitting through just for that. Dano is pretty good, too, but needed better direction. Thankfully, Julianne Moore dies near the beginning. God-awful title, too. The title of the original memoir, "Another Bullshit Night in Suck City" would have been far better, or at least a bit intriguing.

As subtle as a sledgehammer. It's a shame that this on screen talent is squandered beneath a terrible script. The text is all flowery recital which probably looks decent on a page but sounds terrible aloud.

Interesting enough, but not epic, unfortunately, since the cast contains some real gems. Had potential! Also, as someone who lives near Boston, I expected more accent. Much more.

Although not always understanding the characters, I loved that this film is about the struggles between a parent and a child. I relate to it in the way that both are similar to each other, and yet different. It sometimes can be hard to find the things that separate you from your parents when you are so alike. The film moves slowly sometimes, but I do feel that it is emotionally there. All and all it is a good one. 60/100

Because Dano

Started out as the typical dark comedy with not much going for it, but turned into something much more emotionally involved. Pleasantly surprised

Not much here except for Robert De Niro.

based on the reviews i didn't expect much from this one. i was pleasantly surpised with the acting and the story was intriguing as well..one of deniro's best roles of late...

Some good acting and a few moments of emotional credibility, but the script doesn't give you how Dano and DeNiro eventually reconcile. It just makes it happen, but without the intermediate steps.

Typical Memoir shit

Here's a movie that strives for greatness but ends up falling flat on its face due to some blatant tonal/pacing inconsistencies and completely unlikable characters. After nearly 100 films, it feels like De Niro's curtain call, playing a cynical, grouchy version of a character that has earned him a place in the history books which isn't only sad to witness, it's pretty embarrassing. I guess the leads gave it their all, but they were let down by a tedious script and some weak direction.

After a few years with forgettable roles in even more forgettable films, Robert De Niro comes back with a great performance, alongside Paul Dano.

Like 'Henry Fool' except not shit. Dude, your poems suck.

While it was an interesting premise, and DeNiro gives a decent performance, it was overall poor filmmaking that reduced a good cast into a medoicre at best film.

De Niro what were you thinking? A sloppy mess

"If Robert De Niro knew what was good for him, he'd certainly distance himself from this director and find a new path." - R. Kurt Osenlund