Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

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Micransix Crappy film

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Madeleine Longtin From the start, it was evident that Being Flynn was trying to achieve a certain status - it wanted to be a compelling drama highlighting the lives of a father and his son, both struggling with different aspects of their lives. However, it fell short in more ways than one.The cast was brilliant as Robert de Niro and Paul Dano were both dedicated to their roles and gave their best effort. Unfortunately, the characters were difficult to relate to as they continued to make poor decisions without any clear reason as to why they were making those choices. This made them both unlikeable and therefore I began to lose interest rather early on in the outcome of their situation.In addition, the plot left me feeling entirely unsatisfied. The development of the story was quite slow and I can't indicate any particular moment that served as a clear turning point. It was as if the viewer was only seeing glimpses but was never provided with the entire picture. Very frustrating indeed.I have no temptation to see this film in the future nor would I recommend it to others. Unless of course you are a die-hard Robert de Niro fan who is able to look past the weak plot in order to appreciate his acting.

SnoopyStyle Nick Flynn (Paul Dano) is lost but hopes to be a writer. He takes a job at a homeless shelter in Boston, and then later finds his father, Jonathan (Robert De Niro) taking residence.Jonathan is self professed great writer and master of all. He is an absentee dad. He is unlikeable, annoying, and prideful. Nick is a weak individual and just can't take Jonathan anymore. Paul Dano is once again playing the flustered guy. He is not likable and he is too pathetic. It is impossible to root for him. If this was about the mentally unstable Robert De Niro, it could be an award winning performance. It's somewhat wasted on a film about his son.

cinemaniac2002 Parental abandonment is something that many people deal with. Some never reconcile it, choosing to ignore it. But the fact is that abandonment early in life can leave scars that affect you for the rest of your life. Pretending not to notice or shrugging it off can seem like it works for a while, but as one ages, the gravity of the experience begins to take form. This film will most likely bring to light some of the circumstances surrounding a viewer's own similar situation.For me, it was realizing how the lack of a father has affected how I view relationships and as a result, my own choices. Young girls learn about male energy and how it can be beneficial from their fathers. My father abandoned me very early in life, surfacing only a few times, one of which was when he was in ill health. Fortunately for me, I was not faced with the situation that Nick was - my father had the means to live on his own. I also had a stepfather who never recognized me even as a family member. When he wasn't ridiculing me he was just ignoring me. Thankfully, my mother was a very strong presence in my life. But she was gone well before her time as well. Nick's mother committed suicide -- and there are many other more subtle ways to do this. Like ignoring your own health and well being and allowing yourself to become so ill that it is too late to repair it.It seemed early on that Nick decided to be a writer because his father considered himself to be one. That, along with providing much inspiration by way of their own story - is another contribution to Nick's life that I'm sure he has acknowledged. The one thing that Nick's father did was validate his writing. For a writer, that can mean more than just about anything.

p-stepien "Being Flynn" is an awkward, semi-detached autobiographical movie based on the memoirs of Nick Flynn written down in his acclaimed book "Another Bullshit Night in Suck City". Nick Flynn (played with true zest by rising quality actor Paul Dano) recaps a period of his life, when still uncertain of having any publishing future encourages him to take up a temporary post at a homeless shelter in Boston. Once there he comes across his estranged and increasingly manic father (a masterful return by Robert De Niro), a self-proclaimed classic writer, who approaches the facility after losing his apartment and livelihood in the form of a taxi business. Left during childhood Nick feels a need for attachment, but simultaneously cannot garner to trust the unfatherly figure. Instead this enhances memories of his mother (played by Julianne Moore), who worked two jobs in an attempt to raise him as a single mother, until finally committing suicide. The situation forces a collision in an extreme situation, as Flynn's father falls from grace with Nick reluctant to help pick up the pieces.A somewhat surprising entry by Paul Weitz, probably best known for being the culprit behind the "American Pie" franchise. Rarely comedic, instead it dabbles in the underbelly of both society and family life, engaging throughout mostly due to the terrific performances by its lead cast. The drama lingers creating atmospheric tension between the two main characters, so even if the movie fails to convey a powerful story and has its moments of prolonged lack of direction, the end result brings about a realistic dark portrait. Somewhat depressing in tone "Being Flynn" above all marks a return to greatness by De Niro and a further marked rise as a future great actor by Paul Dano. Despite some script frailties and occasional incapability for dramatic direction by Weitz, it is still a worthwhile watch and at least a very intriguing character study about generational relations.