Review of Lonesome Jim (2005) by Taylor C — 07 Jun 2007

[font=Century Gothic]"Lonesome Jim" starts with Jim(Casey Affleck) returning to Cromwell, In after a failed attempt at being a writer in New York, and a more successful one at being a dogwalker and chain restaurant worker. His parents(Mary Kay Place and Seymour Cassel) are of course very pleased to see him again, welcoming him back into their home. They own a factory where Jim's brother, Tim(Kevin Corrigan), single father of two girls and coach of the worst basketball team in Indiana history, works. One night at a bar, Jim meets and has sex with Anika(Liv Tyler), a nurse, which comes in handy when Tim drives his car into a tree...[/font].

[font=Century Gothic]"Lonesome Jim" returns director Steve Buscemi to some of the same psychological terrain as his debut, "Trees Lounge", but with a much better visual eye this time. This is an amusing film about very serious subjects, depression and suicide, and it manages to balance the various elements satisfactorily into a slightly odd whole. It is also concerned with the need for people to make the best out of a terrible situation, which Anika has the knack for, but Jim and Tim are failing at. And Liv Tyler seems to be making a pretty good career out of starring opposite various members of the Affleck clan. [/font].