X
- 2012
- R
- Focus Features
- 1 h 42 m
- 2012
- R
- Focus Features
- 1 h 42 m
Summary The movie explores bonds both unbreakable and fragile between parent and child. Paul Dano portrays Nick Flynn, a young writer seeking to define himself. He misses his late mother, Jody, and her loving nature. But his father, Jonathan, is not even a memory, as Nick has not seen the man in 18 years. Jonathan Flynn has long defined himself ...
Directed By: Paul Weitz
Written By: Nick Flynn, Paul Weitz
- 2012
- R
- Focus Features
- 1 h 42 m
- 2012
- R
- Focus Features
- 1 h 42 m
Being Flynn
53
6.3
Where to Watch
Summary The movie explores bonds both unbreakable and fragile between parent and child. Paul Dano portrays Nick Flynn, a young writer seeking to define himself. He misses his late mother, Jody, and her loving nature. But his father, Jonathan, is not even a memory, as Nick has not seen the man in 18 years. Jonathan Flynn has long defined himself ...
Directed By: Paul Weitz
Written By: Nick Flynn, Paul Weitz
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 27 Critic Reviews
53
41% Positive
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
48% Mixed
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
11% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 27 Critic Reviews
53
41% Positive
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
48% Mixed
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
11% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
And then there's the simple fact of De Niro, playing a delusional taxi driver. It's easy to imagine Being Flynn's story turning precious in the wrong hands, but Weitz and his cast spin it just right - as a narrative that is both emotionally real, and just writerly enough to suit its leading men.
He might be guilty of showboating, but De Niro's knockout performance is a declaration that the star of "Raging Bull" isn't ready to hang up his gloves.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 39 User Ratings
6.3
49% Positive
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
41% Mixed
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
10% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 39 User Ratings
6.3
49% Positive
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
41% Mixed
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
10% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
This is a drama film with themes covered including homelessness, snow and shelter. It is fairly slow to start, with the characters background slowly being depicted. The relationship between son and father is clearly somewhat distant, with the son, Nick, shown as a child wondering about said father, looking up to him and wishing he knew him and then when he does come back in to his life, Nick is somewhat apprehensive about confronting him at first. Meanwhile, his father is quite egotistical and more laidback, so its fair to say that they don't especially get along together.
I felt it was quite a meandering plot, with different characters providing narration at different times - both Nick and his father, Jonathan, provide narration at different times. The tone, from scene to scene, depends on who is providing the narration, with Jonathan being more, as I say, laidback. I felt that in general the films plot was quite meandering. Its certainly not a fast paced film but it isn't full of sentimental schmaltz either. Its quite thought provoking, I suppose - I imagine many people could relate to aspects of the plot, with absent fathers not being too uncommon these days, sadly. I liked aspects of multiple characters, for different reasons. I felt that Jonathan was probably the more interesting character
Cast wise, the son, Nick Flynn, is played by Paul Dano. He plays him as quite a nervous, introverted type, quite hesitant seeming, yet curious to find out more about his dad. His father, Jonathan Flynn, is played by Robert De Niro, who plays him as quite a cocky and self-proud person, regardless of his personal circumstances. Its the sort of role that probably comes relatively easy for him, being a bit of a wise-guy type, I'd have thought. Meanwhile, other cast members include Julianne Moore, who plays Jodie Flynn and Olivia Thirlby, who plays Denise.
Content wise, the film contains some strong language and discriminatory language used, sex references and nudity, mild to moderate violence including fist fights and gunfire. There are also scenes including illegal drug taking. Due to this, the film has been given a 15 rating.
I liked some of the camerawork featured - there are some scenes in which the camera pans out and gives it an added atmospheric feel. Its an interesting film, with some good themes and it is fairly thought provoking. There is a fairly sombre feel to it at times, particularly as the plot develops and I think there are bittersweet elements but I won't elaborate, so as not to spoil things too much for any potential viewers. I actually thought it was quite memorable, which is something a fair number of modern films aren't, which is obviously a good thing.
Yes I'd recommend this film, as I thought it had a good cast and was pretty intriguing/interesting. It has a good cast and although its a little meandering, its a decent enough watch and was fairly memorable by the end.
Report
In this tale of two lives, Being Flynn gets the emphasis wrong. The success that has many fathers is altogether predictable; it's the despicable orphan of failure who has us in his thrall.
Mostly, though, Being Flynn is memorable for the sight of a once-great actor rousing himself to a performance the movie itself isn't prepared to handle.
There is honest feeling, genuine humanity and real intelligence in this movie, but there is also a sense of caution, of indecisiveness, that undermines its potential power. Being Flynn is an honorably ambivalent film, finally unsure of what to do with the two strong, complicated characters at its center.
Weitz – who did a great job adapting Nick Hornby's "About a Boy" into an affecting 2002 movie – can't bring the pieces together here.
If Robert De Niro knew what was good for him, he'd certainly distance himself from this director and find a new path.
In a real-life memoir called "Another Bulls_ _t Night in **** City," by also real-life Nick Flynn (played by Dano), a playwright and poet, he describes the reunion with his long-absent and eccentric writer and father Jonathon Flynn (played by DeNiro) at a homeless shelter, of which son Nick had voluntarily worked during the 1980's. Adapting such a premise into a film is filmmaker Paul Weitz, who for the last seven years has been working to capture the father and son relationship of the Flynn's, as portrayed in the film, "Being Flynn." Through the course of the film, the viewer is also introduced to Mrs. Flynn (played by Moore), who committed suicide when her son, Nick, was 22 years old. She is pictured throughout in extending flashbacks, primarily shown with her "then-child" son Nick. Also, shown, is Nick's semi-involved, vaguely determined girlfriend (played by Thirlby), who serves as the support for Nick during his down-ward spiral. These are the main characters. Father Jonathon, though, much ado to DeNiro, is the main emphasis of the film. Suffering from an extensive bout with alcoholism, and having served time in prison for writing bad checks, Jonathon's pent-up rage boils inside of him, and readily shown by the acting prowess of DeNiro who has finally messaged to audiences that "He's back." However, there is something about DeNiro's playing of down-and-out long-shots rising up from adversary that suits him in this bio-pic role. Notwithstanding his own "comeback" from histrionics, as shown in the past decade, one can't help but link DeNiro's delineation of Jonathon Flynn as perceptibly and eerily similar to his classic performance of "Taxi Driver," some thirty-plus years ago. This is so for a few, yet intentionally done, reasons. One, Jonathon works as a taxi-driver, and later his torn self is shown in front of a mirror; you'll know what I'm talking about. Although this isn't the first time DeNiro has denounced his infamous moving roles in the past (see "Little ****" and "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle," to name a couple) I will admit, a special resonance of nostalgia and movie history is brought to life again, this time from an aging DeNiro. So, it is good to see him back onboard. As for Dano, he shows signs of letting loose, much like his to-to-toeing with Daniel Day Lewis in "There Will Be Blood," however, his sullen, nonplused brow and merose eyes are seen as indications of overacting, and become bemuddled, in terms of drawing a resemblance to the real-life Nick. Having read Nick Flynn's memoir, I can confirm that Dano does have moments with showing a similar sense of loss as felt through real-life Flynn's words, especially in his drug use, but he almost looks and feels distracted. Put differently, Dano can't quite match DeNiro's redemptive role in firepower; instead, he feels weary and too-defeated. As for Moore, she hands in a safe, unrestrained role as the non-present mother, but the flashbacks simply don't give her enough "life" to be considered commendable in her role. As for Thirlby, she, too, shows signs, like Dano, of breaking loose, but by no fault of her own, Weitz doesn't give her the aid to render a memorable performance; she's a mere fill-in to bolster Dano. The film, as a whole is not bad, though, is doesn't quite feel as if Weitz knows what he wants to do with his convincing leads. He shows DeNiro trickling into despair, but doesn't know how far to let him drop before he ascends back up to shape. And, more specifically, Weitz shows a DeNiro, sleeping on public benches and such, however, on a whim, shows him hearty and sane as ever. Then, just as easily, shows DeNiro imitating almost Greek oracle, versing words to the heavens, and displaying his loss with reality. The extremes are flunctuated too frequently. Moreover, I find Weitz's extensive research with the real-life figures of the film plaudable, as he obviously taps into DeNiro's adroitness, and will to act again, however his diluted narration and uneven balance leaves more to be desired. Overall, "Being Flynn," is a worthwhile drama that not all will enjoy, but many can find elements of which to relate.
Report
Being Flynn is a dark and unpleasant film about the deeply fractured relationship between an aspiring writer and his alcoholic father. That may sound like the basis for a deeply moving story about redemption and second chances, but writer/director Paul Weitz is so determined to avoid sentiment and easy answers that he drains the movie of any real feeling. Still, Dano and DeNiro are very good in the lead roles and the beautiful score by Badly Drawn Boy helps to keep it from being unwatchable.
Report
Every movie I watch Paul Dano in reinforces what an amazing director Paul Thomas Anderson is. That he was able to get a dynamic performance out of Dano in There Will Be Blood is a miraculous feat when you consider Dano's other work. Being Flynn is case in point. Dano plays the character with a grim seriousness that doesn't help the already melancholy tone of this movie. A role that should have many levels, and be played with some irony to counterbalance the darkness, is instead played with a one-note monotonous sadness. The end result is a character who feels way more sorry for himself than we do, and a story with a big hole where its male lead should be. Robert De Niro is heroic enough to overplay his role, to make up for the void at the center of the picture, and give us some entertainment value. But the end effect for him is that he appears to many critics as conspicuous and flashy. The real culprit is Dano, who doesn't crack a smile for the entirety of the film and who ensures that we don't either.
Report
This is really a boring movie, the film has non action, non humor, non good plot, about this movie you can't say positive things, only dad Danno and Di Nerro did good acting. The plot and the director is the worst, really there don't happen anything in this movie, only driking and f***ing, that's it. Don't waste your time on this movie. This movie is 102 min bored.
Report
