thirstydog-32613 Films about alcoholism are not my favorite genre. They are either too depraved and sad or too preachy (the 12 steps). And to be sure, that was the case in this film. But the cast turns in a fine performance and the real treat was that about half way though the film, I realized who Callahan actually was.

Paul Allaer "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot" (2018 release; 114 min,) is a bio-pic about quadriplegic cartoonist John Callahan. As the movie opens, we see Callahan participating in a support group (we quickly learn it's an AA group). We then go back in time to the day of his accident. "I woke up without a hangover" and then starts a day of binge-drinking. As this point we're 10 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: this is the latest movie of writer-director Gus Van Sant. Van Sant uses Callahan's auto-biography of the same name as the basis for the film. I've not read that auto-biography so I can't comment how faithful Van Sant has remained to the book. Regardless, the movie should be judged on its own merits, and from that angle, I can unequivocally state that this is a darn good film. Van Sant decides to bring Callahan's story in a non-linear way, and the movie frequently jumps back and forth to various phases of Callahan's life. Of course non of this would matter without the brilliant performance, once again, by Joaquin Phoenix. Is there any role that this guy cannot bring? The supporting cast is quite good too: Jonah Hill (as AA group leader Donnie Green) gives his best performance in quite some time; Rooney Mara (as Swedish nurse Annu) is very charming; and Jack Black (as drinking buddy Dexter) is, well, Jack Black. Beware: AA gets a lot of focus in the film, so if that seems bothersome to you, you may want to check out another movie."Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot" premiered at this year's Sundance film festival to immediate critical acclaim. The movie finally opened at my local art-house theater this weekend. The Saturday matinee screening where I saw this at was attended okay for a matinee. Given the surefire positive of mouth this movie will generate, I can see this playing in theaters for many weeks to come. If you are in the mood for a top-notch quality movie with an even better leading performance, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

william gosselin Gus Van Sant directs this beautiful film about John Callahan, alcoholic turned cripple turned cartoonist. The heart of this story is truly inspiring. It is deep down a story about the darkness corner of the human spirit, and how through faith we can overcome anything.Van Sant is not a very flashy director. However there is a few questioning choices he made with this film. First off, the structure of the movie is very non linear, especially at the start. This creates a rather jarring experience, and it often results in lessening the impact of what is shown. The film gets more straightforward in the second half and it picks up big time.Another thing that is odd is the manifestation of the protagonist's mother. The effect they chose to fade her face into the frame is simply bad. It just looks awful and the whole scene feels like a stain on the film. Also the film is filled with these weird zoom in shots that looks unappealing. It is something to get use to. It's not that it's a big deal, but it looks strange, and I fail to see the purpose of these zoom in and out.Beside these few issues, Van Sant mostly lay low and let the actors act, and they do it beautifully. At this point it is not a surprise to anyone, but Joaquin Phoenix is fantastic in this. He elevates the material to tear jerking and meaningful. He just becomes the character. Between this and You Were Never Really Here, he is guaranteed to be nominated. Jonah Hill proves again that he is a true artist with a single scene near the ending of the film. Before that he owns every scene he has, especially the first time Callahan meets him. He has this sincere goodness and nonchalance about his character. He really nails it.Jack Black is also great in the film. At first it seems that he is just playing his usual funny dude character, but later in the film he has a great emotional scene. Although it is very short he just shows a whole new side of him.Rooney Mara's performance is also great, but her character is somewhat problematic. When she first arrives, she is just like an angel, beautiful, caring and funny. It is just hard to believe that she actually exists in this universe. I understand that she helps greatly Callahan to keep faith, so that might be why she is so pretty, and charming and innocent, but it still feels like she is out of place in the film. Not her fault though.Even though the first half suffered a bit from weird editing and jumping around a lot in time, the second half made up for it. It is more than a simple drama, it becomes meaningful. The pain that Callahan feels is so relatable. After watching him go through everything he did, and knowing that he truly existed, it just inspired me to be better. To conquer my own pain and torment and to just accept who I am as a person. It is not often that a film provoke such an emotional reaction out of me. Also I nearly cried twice, which is even more unusual. Overall this is a great movie that dealt brilliantly with the theme of overcoming our pain and suffering no matter how insurmountable it seems.Rating: 8/10

ccorral419 Two- time Academy Award Nominee Director Gus Van Sant ("Good Will Hunting," "Milk") once again hits is out of the park here, with this sure be nominated film about comic writer (and film producer here) John Callahan. Callahan (touchingly played by Joaquin Phoenix) is a partier, specializing in alcohol. When he meets his match in Dexter (Jack Black), their one night escaped leaves Callahan permanently in a wheel chair. Through his recovery, social worker/girlfriend Unna introduces him to an AA group, lead by Donnie (beautifully portrayed by Jonah Hill). Working with Donnie and his piglets (AA ensemble group: Beth Ditto, Mark Webber "13 Sins," Kim Gordon "The Perks of being a Wallflower, "Ronnie Adreain "Key and Peele" and Udo Kier "Downsizing"), and in his made for speed wheel chair, Callahan grows into the man he was supposed to be, while coming in touch with his past and establishing himself as a satirical cartoonist. Because the real John Callahan is a cartoonist with a wacky sense of humor, "Don't Worry..." manages to keep the tragedy of this real life story light-hearted and funny, while equally tragic. We know Phoenix's has the ability to give weight to these type of unique characters, but it is Hill who really steps outside of his usual comic comfort zone here, and it's beautiful to watch both these guys in action. It's rare that such honesty in film can be delivered with such humor. "Don't Worry..." will be nominated come award season, so now is your chance to be the first to see this film.