C’mon C’mon

 

C’mon C’mon (Amazon Prime)

Joaquin Phoenix is the consummate actor, playing roles from Johnny Cash to the Joker. In this movie he   portrays Johnny the title character as melancholy and moody. This sets the tone for the movie. It is shot entirely in black and white normally an effect of film noir. In some scenes characters are in deep shadow only showing part of their face.

Johnny is a radio journalist working on a project interviewing kids around the country asking them what they think about the future and their lives. He has not seen his sister Viv in a year since their mother’s death from complications from Alzheimer’s. Viv has to go away to take care of her estranged husband who is having a mental breakdown and she asks Johnny to look after his nephew Jessie played by Woody Norman. He is a precocious nine year old who gives an emotional performance of a child maneuvering the uncertainties of a family in crisis. The relationship with Johnny is rocky and over time a bond develops but not without challenges. Johnny finds out dealing with a kid is hard. Protecting him and reprimanding him is a balancing act. Much of the movie is interaction between Johnny and Jesse interspersed with scenes with Viv explaining how to deal with Jesse.

Johnny clearly loves Jesse and puts up a lot with his antics. This is not a straightforward feel good movie, it has many emotional speed bumps. If you have the holiday blues this is not your movie.