Review of Manglehorn (2015) by Filmphonic — 06 Aug 2015

In a subtle and sometimes quirky character study on loneliness and regret, Al Pacino stars as a man in his later years unable to move on from the one true love that got away many years before, a man who’s spent years stewing in his own anger and resentment after leaving a wife he never loved and becoming estranged from a son he never connected with.

Continuing a recent trend of leading roles in smaller and often hit & miss films, Pacino cannot be blamed for any of ‘Manglehorn’s’ shortcomings as he delivers a subdued and nuanced but emotive performance… and we feel that criticism of Mr. Pacino’s recent roles is unwarranted and fails to recognize the limited choices for a 75 year-old leading man in the modern film industry, not to mention how an actor and indeed a person fundamentally changes over time.

Despite the fact that Pacino and Holly Hunter’s accomplished performances make it hard to overlook the film entirely,’ Manglehorn’ is nevertheless an uneven film with a sparse narrative plugged with poetic and stylistic filler and featuring quasi-surreal sequences that seem out of place within the story.

Perhaps the biggest shortcoming with ‘Manglehorn’ however is the fact that for all its quirks, it’s still a rather traditional redemption drama within a predictable structure, and for all the angst and melancholic character journeys, the conclusion is rather familiar and sentimental, even going so far as to suggest that positivity and hope can create magic.

The Bottom Line….

Impressive and nuanced performances from Al Pacino and Holly Hunter can’t mask the unsubstantial story and lack of originality, despite its periodic quirkiness and admirable attempt at a study of loneliness and resentment, ‘Manglehorn’ is too underwhelming to leave a lasting memory.