Movie Review: Being Flynn

Being Flynn is a movie I've actually been looking forward to for quite some time now—I'd call it more curious than excited for a couple of reasons.

First, it's been a really, really long time since a movie starring Robert De Niro excited me. The man who has given some of film's most iconic performances has, through a growing string of horrible roles, been relegated to bad dramas, cheesy comedies and cameos.

Realistically, we're talking well over a decade since a De Niro role has been legitimately praised. When the trailer for Being Flynn arrived late last year, it looked as if he may finally have found some dramatic material worthy of the actor that everyone knows De Niro was, or perhaps still is.

Second, I've been a fan of Paul Dano for a while now, yet for whatever reason he doesn't seem to find himself in leading roles all that often. His supporting performances in Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood are both excellent, yet frequently overlooked.

The third reason for my intrigue was Paul Weitz, a filmmaker who has shown some serious promise in the past (About A Boy), but who has also written and directed some seriously awful films. His work as both director and screenwriter here basically made this a coin flip.

The last reason was the material itself. Based on the memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City (I wonder why they changed the title?), Being Flynn tells the story of Nick Flynn (Dano), an out of work, aspiring writer whose drinking habits, troubled past and pent up anger have him on the edge of a downward spiral. After meeting a woman named Denise (Olivia Thirlby) who convinces Nick to join her in working at a local homeless shelter, Nick's life appears to be momentarily on the upswing.

All of this changes when his estranged father Jonathan re-enters his life after nearly two decades without any contact. Jonathan is also a writer, who has given himself the label of America's last great writer, even though he has nothing to show for it. Jonathan is also a drinker, and when his alcoholism causes him to wind up living on the streets, he ends up a mainstay at the shelter where Nick works. Weary of getting too close to Jonathan, and troubled by the fact that his father is now in his life on a daily basis, Nick's habits cause him to hit bottom.

Being Flynn is elevated from average to good by its two lead performances. Yes, I am once again able to recognize De Niro for the type of performance that made him one of, if not the greatest, actor of all time. No, this isn't Taxi Driver (although we do see him drive a taxi here) or Raging Bull, but that doesn't mean it isn't quality. And it stands head and shoulders above anything and everything he's done in recent memory.

De Niro's Jonathan is more or less your quintessential drunk: angry, hateful, delusional, oblivious, etc. Unlike Nick, Jonathan doesn't seem to make much of the fact that he has basically always been absent from his son's life. Almost as if he doesn't care. But when you think the whole world revolves around whatever life it is that you think you have, why would you care?

Opposite De Niro is an equally strong Dano who continues to impress. Dano's Nick is quiet and a bit detached, which is understandable considering how lost he is, not only in this immediate situation, but in life in general. I've read some criticism about what is perceived as an apparent lack of chemistry at times between Dano and De Niro, but for me that's the whole point. With all the resentment Nick has for his father, and after years apart, why would they know how to act around each other?

This is emotionally heavy material that will hit harder for anyone who has directly or indirectly dealt with addiction in their lives. It's dark and depressing, and despite some brief instances of faint hope, it's pretty bleak throughout. The storytelling is a bit uneven, which I think stems from the source material that is Flynn's memoir. It's narrated by both Flynn characters, who are telling two very different sides of the same story. It jumps back and forth between them quite a bit, especially in the first half when the film is really trying to find its footing. There are even a few moments early on where it's not entirely clear who is telling which part of the story, or to whom they are telling it. This two sided approach is a bit distracting considering this is very much Nick's story.

That being said, I understand why Weitz took this approach, and what he was trying to do with it. And as the film moved along, his screenplay seemed to find a groove of sorts. Either that or I just got used to it.

If for nothing else, Being Flynn is worth a look for its two leads. I'll refrain from proclaiming that Mr. De Niro is "back," but this is definitely a welcome return to form of sorts.

Rating: 7/11

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