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THE END OF THE TOUR
With Jason Siegel, Jesse Eisenberg, Anna Chlumsky, Joan Cusack, Ron Livingston
Written by Donald Margulies (based on David Lipsky's book)
Directed by James Ponsoldt
David Foster Wallace (Siegel) wrote the epic novel Infinite Jest (published in 1996), which radically affected a generation.
This film looks at aspiring writer David Lipsky (Eisenberg) who is assigned to interview the reclusive author for a Rolling Stone article right of the back of his successful book tour. What results is a very fascinating exchange between two minds, mid-winter in the author's snow covered Illinois home town (where he lives a modest life alone with his dog) - the expectations of the author / interviewee on a personal and professional level by the interviewer, tasked to dig deeper than his article subject wants to reveal, are conflicted, as he both likes and envies this non-assuming man who wrote this great work (something he'd also love to be remembered for) - but it comes form inner struggle and pain. And of course the magazine wants the juicy, sensational bits...
But Wallace was a quintessential suffering artists in many ways, with an inner turmoil, suffering from depression and dabbling with substances, his suicide attempts leading to him succeeding with this tragic choice in 2008.
Most people would recognise Siegel as one of the gang in How I Met Your Mother, but he got started long before that as a teen newcomer (alongside James Franco and others) in the fantastic late-'90s series Freaks and Geeks, Eisenberg's breakout role in The Social Network had him go on to everything from superhero movies to working with Woody Allen.
I've heard about Wallace's book Infinite Jest, but after this will be making plans to get hold of it and give it a read.
4 / C
- Paul Blom
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