Review of Nebraska (2013) by Maria V — 02 Mar 2014

In Alexander Payne's latest film, his fourth set in his home state, he's finally captured the Midwest front and center in a way that had always been peripheral before. He's also given Bruce Dern a role worth of his immense talent.

A film that burns with all the raw, undiluted humanity independent cinema affords, without once dipping into the trappings of the "indie film". Its humor is skewering but loving, and its characters flawed but (mostly) sincere, and most importantly, painfully real.

In a year littered with black and white films, Phedon Papamichael's gorgeous cinematography stands out leagues beyond the others. The film makes no apologies for its characters faults, and indeed, nobody really changes.

Woody Grant begins and ends the film bitter, drunk and delusional. His wife, played by the stellar June Squibb, tolerates him just the same before the lottery letter as after. And though the film sets itself up for a "life lessons learned" kind of revelation from Will Forte's devoted son, showing his life in tatters at the beginning, with the typical "girlfriend leaves him because he's going nowhere", in the end.

..nothing happens. It's never even mentioned again. Life just sort of happens in Nebraska. And that, more than "Honor thy mother and father" or "Dreams are worth chasing" or whatever pseudo-intellectuals try to extrapolate from the film, is the real message.

In Nebraska, people just...exist.