[yasr_overall_rating]
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.’
Imagine the best conversation you’ve ever had…now amplify it with personal revelations and an incredible human connection. That, is “The End of the Tour.”
The movie tells the story of the five-day interview between Rolling Stone reporter (and novelist) David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel), which took place right after the 1996 publication of Wallace’s groundbreaking epic novel, ‘Infinite Jest.’
As the days go on, a tenuous, yet intense, relationship seems to develop between journalist and subject. The two men bob and weave around each other, sharing laughs and also possibly revealing hidden frailties – but it’s never clear how truthful they are being with each other. Ironically, the interview was never published, and five days of audio tapes were packed away in Lipsky’s closet. The two men did not meet again.
The film is based on Lipsky’s critically acclaimed memoir about this unforgettable encounter written following Wallace’s suicide in 2008. Both Segel and Eisenberg reveal great depths of emotion in their performances and the film is directed with humor and tenderness by Sundance vet James Ponsoldt.
Upon leaving the theater, I stood to one side of the doors to listen to people’s initial reactions. Many were involved in discussing the incredible acting. Others were debating the technical issues of continuity and how the film was shot. Occasionally I heard patrons complaining that the movie was depressing, and that they were disappointed in not having an escape from reality by seeing the show. I would like to address each of these issues.
Incredible acting: ABSOLUTELY! Saying that the acting was incredible barely scratches the surface of how much life and soul was poured into the two main characters. I never doubted for a minute that I was seeing the real people up on the screen. Completely forgetting that it was Eisenberg and Segel, I felt as if I were a voyeur in their lives. Both characters are neurotic, insecure and self-conscious about how the world saw them. These personality traits usually make a person uncomfortable to be around, and I was. There are many times during the movie that I was extremely uncomfortable being with these two men because the acting was so exquisitely dead-on.
Technical issues on how the film was shot: A great deal of the film is shot in close quarters. The last 4 days of the book tour are mostly spent traveling in a car, riding on a plane and being in a hotel room. All of these are very small cramped spaces – especially a car. So yes, there is a feeling of “in your face” claustrophobia with many of the scenes. However, I’m not sure that’s necessarily a bad thing. In many ways, it creates an intimacy and deeper understanding of what makes these two men who they are. You’re able to see the facial ticks and subtle gestures. The chain smoking that is so much a part of who they both are in the movie is a little distracting because the cigarettes grow and shrink with very little continuity. So in that aspect, it is distracting. However, the cigarettes are the only thing about how the film was shot that bothered me.
Was the film depressing: Hmmm. That is a very personal point of view. I did not find the film depressing. I also find it a terrible shame that anyone would expect ALL movies to be sunshine and lollypops, or take them to a planet and time far from reality. Occasionally a movie SHOULD make us think. It should make us take a deep hard look at who we are and why we’ve chosen to do the things in our lives that define us.
“The End of the Tour” made me think and remember who I was in college, and compare it to who I am today. Brought me face to face with the reality that while I may be wanting something better for my life, someone else may be wanting exactly what I have right now.
Sometimes brain bubblegum is a good thing. We all need moments in life to laugh, love and completely let go of all worry and stress. To sit back in a dark movie theater with a bucket of buttered popcorn big enough to swim in, and let ourselves get completely lost in comedy nonsense or a thrilling adventure is an indulgence that frees the spirit and feeds the soul. But to say that movies should always offer this, is to say that ice cream, cake and road trip junk food should be the entirety of our diets. There needs to be a healthy dose of thought provoking movies like “The End of the Tour” to keep us thinking and growing.
“The End of the Tour” takes a very naked look at who David Lipsky and David Foster were. What their basic fears and dreams were. It is about ideas. The script is a transcript of a conversation, and underneath lies a profound drama and it looks at why writers are the way they are…we’re an odd species of human.
In theaters August 7th
