REVIEW — “The End of the Tour”

“The End of the Tour” is the story of the five-day interview between “Rolling Stone” reporter David Lipsky and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace, which took place right after the 1996 publication of Wallace’s groundbreaking epic novel, ‘Infinite Jest.’ It’s grounded in a harsh reality, delves into the humanity of real people and their perspective on their world, and develops a strong dynamic between the two leads. Expertly acted, fantastically written, and thought provoking until the final minutes, “The End of the Tour” is the type of film that deserves to be seen, but likely wont be due to a limited release.

While the movie isn’t particularly ‘fun,’ with exception to a few shining moments our stars provide, it’s entertaining in the ‘makes you think’ kind of way. This isn’t just the story of two people on a road trip, but rather is the showing of two sides of the same coin. How two people can have completely different opinions on the same things, and how those opinions can effect others. We get a great look into the minds of both of these people, and are introduced to such crucial subject matters as depression, addiction, suicidal tendencies, and the dark passenger known as fame.

Jesse Eisenberg has finally proven to me that he is more than a quirky, Michael Cera-esque, type of actor, and this is something he has been working on since “The Social Network.” He is a tremendously underused talent, but my guess is his turn as Lex Luthor in the upcoming “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” will really put him on a lot more radars. The real surprise here was Jason Segel who I would have never pegged as someone who could carry a dramatic film. He reminds me a lot of Robin Williams in the sense that he is a solid comedic actor, but he can bring a realness to a dramatic role that even most drama actors can’t. He doesn’t feel like he’s acting, but that he IS this character. Throw into the mix a small, but crucial, role from Joan Cusack. She offers a stark contrast to the two leads, and it really helps drive home the type of characters we are dealing with.

“The End of the Tour” isn’t a ‘happy’ film, and it isn’t a ‘fun’ film, but it is an incredible film none-the-less. The characters were extremely well written, and very well acted, and they are the focal point of the story. The interaction and chemistry between our leads comes off as genuine, and that isn’t always easy to pull off. It’s a quiet film about real people, dealing with real issues, and it’s grounded in reality since it all happened. It goes over some dark things, and there is no ‘happy ending’ (the ending is technically the beginning), but it helps us understand and comprehend some of these real world issues. Gripping dialogue, tremendous character development/interaction, and an interesting subject make this a must-see. 5/5

Side Note: I don’t read books, which is my biggest flaw, but this made me really want to get back into reading.

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