Review of Nebraska (2013) by Daniel L — 06 May 2014

The simple tone Nebraska, coupled with a one-of-a-kind performance from Bruce Dern, make it a beautiful film that is different from anything else out there.

Displayed entirely in black and white, Nebraska tells the story of Woody Grant (Dern), an elderly man who is convinced he's won a million-dollar sweepstakes. Tired of trying to stop him from walking, his son (Will Forte) agrees to drive him to Nebraska to claim his "prize." This plan doesn't sit well with Woody's nagging wife (June Squibb) and oldest son (Bob Odenkirk). Regardless of his family's insistence that the sweepstakes is nothing more than a scam, Woody is determined to reach his destination and collect his earnings.

Bruce Dern has been in the acting game for the longest time and he's one of Hollywood's legendary character actors. It's amazing seeing him step into this lead role and deliver a magnificent performance as the hard-nosed and determined Woody. This is the type of film that is anchored on the skills of the lead actor, simply because there's not a whole lot else going on. Dern is fantastic, but he's also supported great by the likes of Will Forte, Stacy Keach, and June Squibb, amongst others. Every actor featured in Nebraska blends in perfectly with the simplistic tone of the film.

I'll admit, I wasn't really intrigued by the initial trailers for this film. I only really became interested when it started gaining Oscar buzz. It's not fast-paced, and the black and white style could turn people off. However, aficionados of film should see this movie because it's so beautifully made. It's a character piece that looks inside an American family and it oozes of emotion. In a time where cinema is dominated by large-scale blockbusters, it's refreshing to see a movie like Nebraska come along. 4 stars.