“The Light At The End Of The 2020 Tunnel” - San Diego Film Festival Reviews: “C’mon C’mon”, United States, 2021, directed by Mike Mills.

After more than a year and a half of empty movie theaters and virtual screenings, cinema is officially back in San Diego. What better way to open up the 20th anniversary of the San Diego Film Festival, than a screening of Mike Mills’ heart-felt feature C’mon C’mon. 

The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny, a radio journalist who travels cross-country asking children from different backgrounds a series of questions that condense into one main inquiry; what do you think the future will look like? Amidst his odyssey of existential questions he reflects on the recent passing of his mother and reaches out to his sister Viv (Gaby Hoffmann) for the first time after a falling out between the two. During their conversation Viv discloses a trip she must take to help save her husband (Scoot McNairy) from a substance problem. Johnny spontaneously volunteers to watch over her son/his nephew Jesse, played brilliantly by a 12 year old Woody Norman in his breakout role. What ensues is one of the most pure, heartwarming stories to come out of the pandemic. 

The chemistry between Johnny and Jesse is undeniably the driving force of the movie. The performances from Norman and Phoenix are so refreshingly human. The latter has taken a step back from his darker roles and grounds himself in a scaled back performance reminiscent of his portrayal as Theodore in Her (2013) directed by Spike Jonze.

Though the performances of the film are spectacular, the real heart of this movie comes from the Neo-realistic interviews with inner city children from different parts of America. Director Mike Mills brilliantly interweaves the story line with these real moments to enhance the central question of the movie. The answer; any sliver of hope for a better future lies in the nurturing of our youth. 

Score: 4.5/5

Written by Michael Schnee