Two weeks ago, I did not expect any film at this year’s New York Film Festival to surpass the feeling I had upon watching Titane. But, then came along the latest film from director Mike Mills. C’mon C’mon emotionally wrecked me with its themes of self-examination and moving forward. It’s not only one of the best screenplays of the year but shines a light on the idea that it’s ok to not fully know what you’re doing as Viv (Gaby Hoffman) tells her brother, Johnny (Joaquin Phoenix), “Nobody knows what they’re doing. You just have to keep doing it.”
During its world premiere screening at the Telluride Film Festival, director Mike Mills spoke about his inspiration for the film. Mills recounted that C’mon C’mon was inspired by a conversation he had with his son while bathing him. This inspiration led to a raw, brutally honest film and evoked an emotional reaction unmatched in any viewing experience I’ve had this year. In the movie, we are introduced to Johnny, a radio host touring the country and interviewing kids about their futures and ideas of the current American dream. Johnny agrees to watch his nephew Jesse (Woody Norman) during this tour while his sister Viv tends to her husband’s inconsistent health. This leads to Jesse and Johnny going on a road trip in what can be labeled as the ultimate bonding experience of the year.
C’mon C’mon’s emotional impact falls on the shoulders of Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix and newcomer Woody Norman and the two answer the challenge with resounding effectiveness. The two share such heart-wrenching chemistry throughout that is aided by the efficacy of Mills’s screenplay as the two share moments through the film in which the importance of a child’s individuality compared to an adult is examined. In his follow-up performance after winning the Academy Award for Joker, Phoenix is just as masterful. This performance falls in line with his take in Spike Jonze’s Her, as it’s a more grounded, subtle performance but is just as effective.
When it comes to Woody Norman’s performance, it may feel like an overblown “prisoner of the moment” mentality, but I don’t recall a better child performance than Norman’s lately. Every word and action throughout the film feels natural and authentic. Norman never fails to match Joaquin and, at times, outperforms him. The level of emotion Norman shows brought tears to my eyes on multiple occasions as the “pseudo-father-son story” has remained something quite personal for me. During the Q&A for the film, Joaquin describes his performance perfectly, stating, “I think he became, in some ways, at least for me, the barometer of authenticity.”
Gaby Hoffmann & the kids’ interviews throughout the film should be praised for their excellent work. With Hoffman, Johnny is given the right barometer on how to handle Jesse. Hoffman plays a duality to her role as she balances being a mother over the phone and doing so with the emotional heartache of dealing with her husband’s poor health. At the same time, the children lay the foundation on the philosophical concepts Mills lays out in the film.
With these concepts and themes of the past, present, and future comes Mills’s choice to have the film shot in black and white. In turn, this was a wise one as Robbie Ryan’s cinematography is stunning and continues the black and white film trend of this year. The film is haunting and attractive and shows one of my favorite film aspects – turning a city into a character. L.A, New Orleans, and New York City feel like their own entity in C’mon C’mon and they aid in the film’s overall effectiveness.
C’mon C’mon ultimately adds to the resume of Mike Mills as one of cinema’s most humanist filmmakers. It’s a film that leaves us examining our existence and one that fully embraces that “It’s fine, not to be ok!” No one individual is perfect, and that’s fine. You would be hard-pressed to find a more impactful film than C’mon C’mon. It continues A24’s streak as one of the best studios today.
