Scan and Pan
Monday, January 01, 2007
The Pursuit of Happyness
San Francisco, 1981. Chris Gardner is a self-employed but unsuccessful medical imaging device salesman with a young son and a wife who works long hours to keep the family afloat. One day he meets a successful stockbroker and decides to pursue an unpaid internship at Dean Witter. When his relationship with his wife collapses, she leaves him, but he keeps their son. Unable to sell any devices, he grows increasingly desperate to make ends meet as he and his son find themselves sleeping in subway restrooms and homeless shelters.
Italian director Gabriele Muccino (L'Ultimo bacio, Ricordati di me) makes his US debut and brings a European style of gritty realism to the scenes of homeless life, but that style struggles against with the "American dream" propaganda of the story and the happy ending. The script by Steve Conrad (The Weather Man), based on the book by the real Gardner, is nothing we haven't seen before in similar films, complete with the predictable ending, but it redeems itself with a well-realised protagonist and some vivid scenes of being down and out in America.
Phedon Papamichael (Walk the Line) contributes cinematography that captures the essence of the story, gritty with the poverty of the characters and bright with the hopes of Chris Gardner represented in the internship, without looking slick. Good score by Italian composer Andrea Guerra (Hotel Rwanda), too.
Will Smith delivers perhaps the best performances of his career as Chris Gardner, imbuing the character with a complexity that lifts the film up to a higher level. If he isn't nominated for an Oscar, it'll be a shock. I'd like to see him take on more roles like this, because he's a better actor than many of his roles require him to be. Smith's real life son, Jaden, plays his character's son, and has his father's natural, effortless charm. Acting with his real father lends credibility to the father-son bond that forms the film's emotional core.
Thandie Newton seethes anger and disappointment as Gardner's wife. Dan Castellaneta is good as the instructor for Dean Witter's internship. In a funny in-joke, Castellaneta, most famous as the voice of Homer Simpson, asks Smith's character to get him some doughnuts. Brian Howe is likable as a senior Dean Witter partner who takes an interest in Gardner. Zuhair Haddad is quite funny in a small role as a taxi driver stiffed by Gardner.
Overall, The Pursuit of Happyness is predictable, but Will Smith and his son Jaden keep it watchable with their performances. This film is probably one better suited for a video rental.
This film is a predictable melodrama, but gritty direction, well-written characters, and excellent acting make it watchable.
San Francisco, 1981. Chris Gardner is a self-employed but unsuccessful medical imaging device salesman with a young son and a wife who works long hours to keep the family afloat. One day he meets a successful stockbroker and decides to pursue an unpaid internship at Dean Witter. When his relationship with his wife collapses, she leaves him, but he keeps their son. Unable to sell any devices, he grows increasingly desperate to make ends meet as he and his son find themselves sleeping in subway restrooms and homeless shelters.
Italian director Gabriele Muccino (L'Ultimo bacio, Ricordati di me) makes his US debut and brings a European style of gritty realism to the scenes of homeless life, but that style struggles against with the "American dream" propaganda of the story and the happy ending. The script by Steve Conrad (The Weather Man), based on the book by the real Gardner, is nothing we haven't seen before in similar films, complete with the predictable ending, but it redeems itself with a well-realised protagonist and some vivid scenes of being down and out in America.
Phedon Papamichael (Walk the Line) contributes cinematography that captures the essence of the story, gritty with the poverty of the characters and bright with the hopes of Chris Gardner represented in the internship, without looking slick. Good score by Italian composer Andrea Guerra (Hotel Rwanda), too.
Will Smith delivers perhaps the best performances of his career as Chris Gardner, imbuing the character with a complexity that lifts the film up to a higher level. If he isn't nominated for an Oscar, it'll be a shock. I'd like to see him take on more roles like this, because he's a better actor than many of his roles require him to be. Smith's real life son, Jaden, plays his character's son, and has his father's natural, effortless charm. Acting with his real father lends credibility to the father-son bond that forms the film's emotional core.
Thandie Newton seethes anger and disappointment as Gardner's wife. Dan Castellaneta is good as the instructor for Dean Witter's internship. In a funny in-joke, Castellaneta, most famous as the voice of Homer Simpson, asks Smith's character to get him some doughnuts. Brian Howe is likable as a senior Dean Witter partner who takes an interest in Gardner. Zuhair Haddad is quite funny in a small role as a taxi driver stiffed by Gardner.
Overall, The Pursuit of Happyness is predictable, but Will Smith and his son Jaden keep it watchable with their performances. This film is probably one better suited for a video rental.
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