As an NPR-style radio journalist, Johnny (Joaquin Phoenix) excels at asking questions that unlock people’s hopes and fears for the future. Living in the present—and for that matter confronting the past—without the mediation of a microphone is a different story. After reconnecting with his semi-estranged sister (Gaby Hoffman) for the first time since their mother’s death, Johnny finds himself on the hook watching her precocious, quirky nine-year-old son Jesse (Woody Norman) while she travels on emotionally fraught family business. While all of these people are broken or wounded in different ways, C’mon C’mon is less about healing per se than learning, caring, and just being there. Filmmaker Mike Mills shapes potentially mawkish material with a sensitive hand, using Johnny’s learning curve as a caregiver to develop his relationship with Viv as much as with Jesse and challenging Jesse as much as Johnny to adapt to the new situation. In a remarkable year for black and white cinematography, the film’s grayscale palette softens the specificity of its images, accenting the emotions while also providing a bit of distance, like memory. Johnny tells Jesse that recording can make mundane life immortal. C’mon C’mon does exactly that. — Steven D. Greydanus (Decent Films); January 2022
Arts & Faith Lists:
2021 Arts & Faith Ecumenical Jury — #8