On July 23, 2024, Fathom Events releases ‘The Good Half’, which has received predominantly positive reviews from critics, holding at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, an individual returning home for his mother’s funeral must confront demons past and present while reestablishing and creating personal relationships. The ensemble cast includes Nick Jonas, Elisabeth Shue, Matt Walsh, Brittany Snow, David Arquette, and Alexandra Shipp. But what did the critics say?
Damon Wise of Deadline Hollywood Daily writes that the film “Mostly serves as a decent vehicle for Nick Jonas, who seems to making a play to be the new Adam Driver, which is not as far-fetched as it might sound” Adding, “Chances are, however, that the audience for this movie isn’t too hung up on identity politics or the evolution of indie, and for older, more jaded viewers, there are some pleasant diversions on the soundtrack, notably the welcome exhumation of obscure British psychedelic rockers Tales of Justine. If only the script had taken such a deep dive.”
Carla Hay of Culture Mix praises the film, stating, “In the comedy/drama film The Good Half, the movie’s 'good half' is the latter half, which shows the most emotional depth. Led by Nick Jonas’ admirable performance, it’s a capably acted story about grief, hope, and family tensions.” Concluding, “Anchoring the emotional center of the film is Jonas’ memorable performance as Renn, who is more devastated by Lily’s death than he cares to admit. Shue’s performance as Lily in the flashback scenes is heartfelt and compelling. Lily had her share of quirks (including a habit of stealing table utensils every time she went to a restaurant), but there’s no doubt that she truly loved her children, and they loved her.”
Kyndall Cunningham of The Daily Beast was less impressed, stating, “I wish I could say that The Good Half felt promising or worthy of my initial interest at some point. But the film exposes its cracks right out of the gate (mainly courtesy of its charmless screenplay by Brett Ryland) and continues to double-down on its worst instincts over the course of 100 minutes. The first sign of trouble is in an early scene, where the film’s writer protagonist Renn (Jonas) meets a therapist named Zoey (Alexandra Shipp) on a flight from Los Angeles to Cleveland, where Renn’s headed for his mother Lily’s (Elizabeth Shue) funeral. Their meet cute is glaringly abrupt and lacking any sort of grace. It’s almost as if someone, speaking to Shipp through an earpiece, orders her to turn to her left and start randomly pestering Jonas’ character for no reason at all. (Her pickup line is to ask him what’s outside his window… on a plane?)”
David Gonzalez of The Cinematic Reel says, “It was hard not to be excited for Schwartzman’s next film, The Good Half. With that expectation came a film that went toe-to-toe with an incredibly moving tale of grief, mourning, and guilt over the inability to say goodbye.” Continuing, “On the performance side, the ensemble is one of my favorites at the festival. Nick Jonas does a commendable job leading the film, capturing a version of mourning that effectively captures remorse and sadness. His chemistry with Alexandra Shipp was welcoming, and their interactions offered some of the film’s most touching and comical moments. Sprinkling in a solid dramatic take by Brittany Snow and the reliable Matt Walsh, the family dynamic is one of its best traits. Speaking of that said dynamic, while only in flashbacks, Elisabeth Shue offers a portrait of a mother who loved and cared in her fashion and one of my favorite performances in recent memory.”
No comments:
Post a Comment