Review of Nebraska (2013) by Turner E — 09 May 2014

Ok, its been a while since my last review, but slowly I'm trying to catch up. But one film I did see before I had to take a break was this film, Nebraska. Alexander Payne has done some wonderful films within the last few decades. Election, Sideways, and the Descendants have all been proof of his talent for mixing comedy and drama. And Nebraska is just further proof of how much talent is on display.

The story follows Woody and David Grant, played by Bruce Dern and Will Forte. Woody is David's alcoholic and possibly senile father. For years they never got along, and in his old age, the two still know very little about each other.But one day, Woody believes he has won a million dollars , though David quickly realizes its nothing more than an ad scam. But to give his dad some peace of mind, he decides to take him to Nebraska to cash the reward. Along the way they stop at Woody's home town where David slowly learns what kind of man Woody used to be and how he became the man he was.

I have to say, I did't walk in with very high expectations. Although I'm a fan of Payne, I grew up not really knowing much about Dern and the trailers didn't exactly catch my attention. For the first 15 or so minutes I'll admit I wasn't very into it. But slowly, the movie won me over. When they get to Woody's home town the movie takes a turn for the best. We get to learn more about Woody and his family, and there are some great interactions and colorful characters. The movie spends the majority of the time there and I was pleasantly surprised how much I began to like Woody. You see all the people who influenced, liked, or even manipulated him and you see the reasons why he became so withdrawn and distant.

While the film does have its more serious moments, its mostly a comedy. Though thankfully its closer to earth and the humor feels more authentic and natural than in most films. I swear anyone who has extended family will feel like they have had these exact conversations with their relatives. Payne managed to somehow make this film feel incredibly real and funny at the same time.

The acting all around is great. Dern rightfully got the nomination, and Forte does very well contrasting Woody's eccentricity with his deadpan every man persona. June Squibb is freaking hilarious as Woody's wife and provides some of the funniest moments. But the real star is the cinematography and camera work. This film would not be nearly as good if it wasn't shot in black and white. I'm a sucker for this kind of film making, and the lack of color ads to the nostalgic and down to earth vibe that this film is going for.

While this isn't the best film of the year, and it certainly didn't cover any new ground, I still enjoyed it. This is meant to be a father and son story, and on that note it succeeds.

**** ( out of 5).