THE END OF THE TOUR (R)
Released by A24 Films
Reviewed by Adam Mast
Director James Ponsoldt (SMASHED, THE SPECTACULAR NOW) has fashioned his strongest work to date with the funny and thoughtful conversational piece, THE END OF THE TOUR. As adapted by screenwriter Donald Margulies, this outstanding movie is inspired by the true story of reporter David Lipsky (played by Jesse Eisenberg) and his observant Rolling Stone piece on celebrated novelist, David Foster Wallace (played by Jason Segel). THE END OF THE TOUR focuses on a book tour Lipsky took with Wallace as the author was promoting “Infinite Jest” back in the 90’s.
First and foremost, Segel is a revelation here. We’ve never seen him quite like this before. There are moments of humor, yes, but Segel digs deep, capturing the tiny nuances, intricacies, and sensitive soul of this complicated, eccentric,evasive, and very private man. I’ve always enjoyed Segel’s movies (most notably FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL) but I never thought he was capable of delivering a performance of such depth.
Likewise, Jesse Eisenberg turns in terrific work as an ambitious–and driven–young writer who desperately wants Wallace “the man” to measure up to the mythological status of Wallace “the author.” Together, Segel and Eisenberg play off of each other like seasoned pros. Their somewhat brief but complex bond rings completely true, and by the end of this movie, I really felt like I had a true understanding of what made both of these intellectuals tick.
There are many memorable moments to speak of in this picture, one of the most enlightening being a scene in which Wallace and friends take in a screening of John Woo’s BROKEN ARROW. As the ridiculously over the top, high octane thrills escalate in the Christian Slater/John Travolta-headlined actioneer, Wallace watches on with a Cheshire cat-sized grin on his face. Even a brilliant novelist can see the artistry and sheer entertainment value in what others might write off as a brainless action movie.
THE END OF THE TOUR has seen its fair share of attacks from the likes of Wallace purists who are convinced that the author himself never would have supported this project. While we’ll never know if that’s true or not, having seen THE END OF THE TOUR, I like to think that Wallace would have endorsed the final product.
This is a bittersweet but all together profound and refreshingly non-judgmental story about friendship and perception and its anchored by two outstanding lead performances. In short, James Ponsoldt’s exceptional THE END OF THE TOUR is one of the year’s best films.
THE END OF THE TOUR is currently in limited release and should expand to more cities in the coming weeks. If it’s playing at a theater near you, it’s well worth checking out.
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