Review of This Must Be the Place (2011) by Tristan M — 09 May 2016

I do like Sean Penn, and this movie wouldn't be the same without him at all. He is a very talented actor, and played an mentally disabled man trying to raise his daughter in a great performance in I am Sam, and I feel this movie also has a similar feel due to his presence and very impressive acting.

He plays a retired Goth rockstar, who is a very interesting character who I can only explain as depressed, and he does a fantastic job and steals the show. But unfortunately it really only him that makes this movie work, as the basic story although interesting lakes much excitement or entertainment.

We do have a few laughs, and awkward moments with people he meets, but it could have been filmed and shown a little differently I feel, it just needed something. The script is good, and the story is good, and Penn is great but it's lacking a good pace I guess.

I can't really say what it needs or is missing the most though, but it could have been done better. Maybe it's a lack of real Nazi hunting other than asking around for a German, but this wasn't a problem and the story isn't actually that bad.

The ending was kinda weird, like watching the old man walk out naked in front of his house in the middle of literally nowhere, it looked like the salt flats, and Cheyenne drives away without killing him.

It's not inconclusive, it's just a weird scene that doesn't make much sense to why he made the old man do it, as it wasn't really humiliation as only him and one other Nazi hunter saw it happen.

Also the fact that Cheyenne drives a big crew cab Dodge truck is interesting as it really does not fit his character or appearance. Overall a ok movie, Penn saves it, but everything around him just kinda falls flat unfortunately.