Review of The Humbling (2014) by Cameron J — 11 Apr 2015

Al Pacino gives yet another outstanding performance as an aging actor who falls in love with his friend's daughter (Greta Gerwig), wholly making up for the dreck of "Jack and Jill". It's one of the best performances of the year so far, full of passion and wit.

The film as a whole is a bit messy, with lots of interconnecting subplots, many of which we can't be certain are real or not considering Pacino's increasing insanity in the film. It's a bit like "Birdman" in that regard (and in the fact that the climactic scene involves his comeback play), though the production is a bit less technically astounding. That said, there are some very well-done long takes, my two favorites being one in a therapy session Pacino attends, and one at the vet's office after Pacino accidentally runs over Gerwig's cat's foot with his car.