Review of Demolition (2016) by Danielnites — 07 Apr 2016

Demolition struggles desperately to find a cure for its cathartic impotence and lack of relatability through a dated protagonist who quickly realizes metaphors should almost always be taken literally.

Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Davis Mitchell, a WASP investment banker with a very large and cold glass house (foreshadowing) whose life is disheveled when his wife dies tragically in a car crash. Like the great anhedonias of '90s cinema, he feels nothing until he discovers a possible grieving outlet, eschewing him from a big ol' vat of emptiness.

Davis finds himself writing a highly eloquent complaint to a vending machine company for not ejecting his favorite tasty treat. He then writes another with more detail and another with even more detail until lone customer service rep Karen (Naomi Watts) answers his cry. So, they strike up a type of relationship. She's a pothead and single mom with an angsty teenager named Chris (Judah Lewis). Watts' and Lewis' characters seem too secondary not only to the entire cast but also to the overall morale as Gyllenhaal's Davis bulldozes through the film's fabric, robbing the wrong people of the right moments. Not quite the spiritual successor to America Beauty but passable until the final act's three incredulous twists send it way off the beaten path.

Director Jean-Marc Vallée's sensibilities indicated a notable departure from Dallas Buyer's Club as he settles on a more casual approach on par with disposable American dramedies. Demolition adds itself to the assembly-line standard of cinematic interpretation by waiving its more complicated elements with gimmicky dream sequences and flashy flashbacks.

Vallée's lack of enthusiasm towards filmic innovation even for easy-going dramedy undoubtedly fans the flames of this deceptively optimistic attempt to humanize a semi-sociopathic reflection of bored white America. Of course, it's insanely unfair to rest the entire production on Vallée as Bryan Sipe's blunt by-the-numbers screenplay throws subtlety out of a Porsche as it constantly coerces unwarranted approval and, more importantly, identification from an unsuspecting audience.

Amidst the confusion, two beacons of light make their way through, not as story elements but as performances. Gyllenhaal delivers the same level of dedication seen in his previous roles particularly Nightcrawler while Chris Cooper is lightly underutilized as Phil, his strangely profound father-in-law/boss. Ultimately, Davis never really allows Gyllenhaal to come full circle as the character's lack of an organic arc impedes any desire of empathy on the part of audience.

Demolition's attendance depends completely your expectations and state of mind. If your life is not so dissimilar from that of Davis' or Phil's, you may find comfort. If not, it's still worth your criticism.