SummaryJohn Callahan (Joaquin Phoenix) has a lust for life, a talent for off-color jokes, and a drinking problem. When an all-night bender ends in a catastrophic car accident, the last thing he intends to do is give up drinking. But when he reluctantly enters treatment — with encouragement from his girlfriend (Rooney Mara) and a charismatic spo...
SummaryJohn Callahan (Joaquin Phoenix) has a lust for life, a talent for off-color jokes, and a drinking problem. When an all-night bender ends in a catastrophic car accident, the last thing he intends to do is give up drinking. But when he reluctantly enters treatment — with encouragement from his girlfriend (Rooney Mara) and a charismatic spo...
Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot is a straightforward biopic about an interesting guy, starring one of our best actors. It’s a story of adversity, self-discovery, and redemption. It’s not the kind of story we’ve never seen, but it’s a perfect showcase for Gus Van Sant’s skill.
Some will find it entirely too sentimental, others a tad repetitive (Callahan tends to repeat the same stories), but it’s hard to argue with a movie that celebrates the kind of recovery he went through.
Gus Van Sant knew how to translate the history of John Callahan story without simple, cheap sentimentality proper of an greeting card. The story of Callahan, how got crippled and how found in the art a form of express his frustrations. Compelling till last minute.
A complete surprise of an excellent biopic, although I don't know what else to expect other than excellence from Gus Van Sant! Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot is a simple movie, but it's simplicity never detracts from the emotional story of one man's battle with alcoholism and his search for redemption and meaning in life. Joaquin Phoenix is superb, and Jonah Hill also gives a beautiful supporting performance. The script, also written by Van Sant, is great. This is a nice uplifting movie, and one I will keep going back to over the performances alone. Definitely worth a watch, especially if you are a fan of Joaquin Phoenix or Gus Van Sant's work.
Joaquin Phoenix gives an admirable performance as an interesting artist, whose life story otherwise gets the short shrift by this conventional drama with a frustratingly narrow focus.
There are plenty of great moments, but they jump out amid a jumble of strangely flat scenes. This doesn’t feel like the work of a great master; it’s a discordant brew that just doesn’t blend right.
An excellent film with a great performance by Joaquin Phoenix and the entire cast. Yes, it was a bit long (I remember thinking at one point – “is this film three hours?”), but I was never bored for a second, and I was often moved by many of the actors. My one frustration was that the film did not show enough of John Callahan’s cartoons, which are really great!
This has been categorised as a part comedy film but I wouldn't say its a comedy - certainly not in the traditional sense anyway, its more of a very dark comedy. Its a sombre and thought provoking watch and I enjoyed seeing the various cartoons come to life on screen. Seeing how John came to be in and adapted to his position, how he lets out (some of) his frustration by way of drawing cartoons, it is (certainly somewhat) inspirational. I particularly enjoyed seeing him ride about on his wheelchair at speed, to his hearts content - there is very much a rebellious aspect of John Callaghan's personality which comes across well. I thought Joaquin Phoenix was a good choice of actor to play the main role, as he is known for playing quirky, rebellious characters and this one I thought suited him well. It won't appeal to everyone but it is a decent, if quirky, at times sobering and at others amusing, watch. I suppose ultimately its about self expression, independence and identity. I think fans of Joaquin Phoenix will enjoy seeing him play a distinctly different character, the wheelchair bound artist John Callaghan.
I would recommend this to others, yes.
This is a biopic of the satirical cartoonist John Callahan. Tough Joaquin Phoenix is as great as usual here and tough the movie remains a watchable movie we're very far from we are very far from the levels to which van Sant has accustomed us. This movie tastes like his more commercial and lacking-of-soul works.
I only watched this movie because Joaquin Phoenix was the star of the film.This movie was very average and was basically just a time killer.I would recommend looking up the cartoonist Bill Callahan,whose life this movie is based on,work because his comics were actually quite funny and different.
to know better than the sweet tooth..
Don't Worry He Won't Get Far On Foot
Van Sant's diagnosis to Callahan's biography is too brittle to stand on its own ground. The structure itself isn't palpable to the tone of the track. It either skips a bit or two or goes into inessential details that never should have made the cut. Ticking for around two hours, it sure makes you sweat especially in its last half. But it also doesn't suggest that it is in it's A game in the first one, in fact the first act is spent upon just introducing characters and setting their sub-plots and characteristics for further development. Just like the sessions Phoenix has as an alcoholic with his group, the entire feature is a series of pathos ideology or tales that is if not eradicated but surely mended with a sweeter tooth. And Van Sant is experienced enough to know better than the sweet tooth, his methods aren't general as the tale demands. Even his execution at times, seems daft along with editing whose attempt to go bolder and "raunchy" backfires vigorously (the first time Phoenix meets Mara could have been shot in a lots of better ways). Then, amidst all this, what is it that makes one thrive for this sometimes uneven and unstable venture. The answer is simply heartbreaking performance delivered by each cast member. Mara may not get any stand alone moment but she is thoroughly competent in her role just as Black is, in his complex one. The show stealer in here is undoubtedly Hill, whose not only character is aptly cooked and has three dimensional perspective resided within, but his each line quoted is justified thoroughly by his expressive portrayal; the meltdown in the end genuinely communicates with the viewers. The phenomenon Phoenix, at the heart of it, keeps it pumping harder and faster than ever despite of all the ups and downs. Not only he is physically challenged and constraint in its acts, but is also emotionally complex and on the extreme side of being of expressive and inexpressive nature. Fortunately, Phoenix has the potential to pull it off easily where he dances to his own beats and this time his partner is an empty bottle; it's a well choreographed act on terms of character analysation. Van Sant's project can be represented as its self-created sequence of Phoenix trying to reach for the bottle for the entire night; he is never going to get it but it surely can be a lesson to be learned from. The narration is elaborative but is also over-stretched and loses viewers' attention when it over chews few stuffs and takes its material for granted. The conversations are pragmatic and dialogues are layered that makes you think twice. In fact, there is a line that Phoenix quotes multiple times and it changes the gist or meaning of the line each time as it draws out various emotions from him. Don't Worry He Won't Get Far On Foot can actually be the guarantee or warranty card for this pathos bubble, it definitely pops, but its impact isn't wide enough to cover up the aspired range.