Movie Review

Film Review: C’MON C’MON (2021): Joaquin Phoenix Is Phenomenal In A Sentimental, Beautifully Made Film

Joaquin Phoenix Woody Norman Cmon Cmon

C’mon C’mon Review

C’mon C’mon (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Mike Mills and starring Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman, Scoot McNairy, Molly Webster, Jaboukie Young-White, Deborah Strang, Jenny Eliscu, Mary Passeri, Brandon Rush, Artrial Clark and Keisuke Hoashi.

Director Mike Mills has crafted a wonderfully shot new black and white film about the bond between a brother and sister and the powerful relationship between an uncle and his nephew. C’mon C’mon starts off as a somewhat ordinary film about a radio journalist named Johnny (Joaquin Phoenix) and ends up becoming an extraordinary human journey focused on the way people can connect with each other in times of need.

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C’mon C’mon explores what happens when Viv (Gaby Hoffmann) enlists the help of her brother Johnny (Phoenix has never been better). Viv’s husband Paul (Scoot McNairy) suffers from mental illness and Viv would prefer to deal with the matter at a distance from her young 9-year old son Jesse (Woody Norman). Johnny comes to help her in California but ends up taking Jesse back to New York with him while Viv tries to help Paul get his life back together. Johnny and Viv’s mother has recently died and this challenges the siblings in their lives because they hold on to the memories that they could have had together as a family if she hadn’t passed away.

A very interesting aspect of the film is how it portrays Johnny’s job. Johnny interviews young people about pressing issues in society today and hearing the kids speak is refreshing in its spontaneous, matter-of-fact nature and each scene that shows Johnny at work is a joy to behold. You never know what the kids will say next or how they’ll respond to a topic and that is something that works greatly to the film’s advantage.

This movie excels, however, in the relationship formed between Jesse and his uncle Johnny. They get along OK at first but are met with many challenges along the way. A very realistic scene comes when Johnny is talking to Viv on the phone while walking on the streets of New York City. Johnny suddenly loses sight of Jesse. Both Johnny and Jesse become frustrated and feel intense anxiety as a result. There’s also a scene where Jesse pretends he has to go to the bathroom while in a cab together and the taxi pulls over to let them go into a diner so Jesse can go. Jesse is actually lying to his uncle about having to go to the bathroom and Johnny tries to get the young boy to see reason about what is going on. As the prospect of going back to his mother comes in to the picture, we always wonder what is best for both Johnny and Jesse as people.

What helps Jesse and uncle Johnny relate to one another are their arguments as well as their agreements on certain topics. Take for instance a scene where Jesse wants to buy a sound-making toothbrush. Uncle Johnny is definitely against it but Jesse ends up getting it nevertheless. It then becomes a part of their lives whenever Jesse brushes his teeth. Late in the picture when Jesse says that things aren’t OK in regards to what he’s feeling, uncle Johnny tells him that things don’t have to be OK and that Jesse can admit how he genuinely feels. These two characters come to bounce ideas off each other throughout the movie and the spontaneity portrayed between them is refreshing and both characters are relatable and charismatic.

Also quite strong in this picture is the bond between Viv and Johnny as siblings. They have their differences but as the movie progresses, they become more in touch with each other’s needs and the two of them start to care for each other more deeply than they did at the start of the film. Mills expertly develops these characters in a true character-driven picture.

C’mon C’mon rests mostly on its central performance by Joaquin Phoenix who makes this movie as terrific as it is. Phoenix adds a great deal of complexity to his single, unmarried character who has come to take on the responsibility of being a parent, more or less, even if its only for a little while. Phoenix remarkably conveys a transformation right before our eyes from a career-driven man to a family-oriented one. It’s a piece of work that ranks among Phoenix’s best on-screen roles to date. Norman proves to be a bright new talent and Hoffmann has never been better and has matured as an actress since her early teen roles.

Mike Mills has crafted a wonderfully layered story about the simple, yet complex things in life. Family is not always easy to deal with but after watching this fantastic film, one is left with the idea that family relationships can become a person’s salvation especially when nothing else seems to be going right in life. The movie also doesn’t sugarcoat Viv’s husband’s difficulties and make them magically disappear by film’s end. Mills has crafted a very worthwhile film. I highly recommend it.

Rating: 9/10

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Thomas Duffy

Thomas Duffy is a graduate of the Pace University New York City campus and has been an avid movie fan all of his life. In college, he interviewed film stars such as Minnie Driver and Richard Dreyfuss as well as directors such as Tom DiCillo and Mark Waters. He is the author of nine works of fiction available on Amazon. He's been reviewing movies since his childhood and posts his opinions on social media. You can follow him on Twitter. His user handle is @auctionguy28.
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