donvocabulario

Mikey is a washed-up adult film actor who comes back to his hometown in Texas begging his estranged wife and mother-in-law to let him crash at their place while he tries to get a regular job. With a long gap in his resumé, he's unable to do so, leading him to dealing weed. He then meets a soon-to-be-18 donut shop cashier and gets himself convinced she's America's Next Adult Film Superstar and that she will be his ticket back to Hollywood. Mickey is a parasitic hustler trying to convince everyone around him he's top dog, often failing. The movie also takes place in 2016 during the presidential election so it's easy to read Mickey as a Donald Trump type, a deplorable boaster desperately scheming a comeback. It's sad if he stays in Texas. It's sad if he comes back to Hollywood. It's sad being poor in the United States.

My only beef with this movie is that it could've been 90 minutes long. But Sean Baker is the lo-fi dramedy top dog. It's a good one.

Some entertaining pulpy spins here and there with beautifully stylized shots but there's really not much to it. I can't even remember the names of the characters because in my opinion they fell flat, even though the cast is world-renowned. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that this is a TWO AND A HALF hour movie... why!? The plot is so slim. Bad people doing bad things... very... very slowly. All for an "alcohol is bad" conclusion. Filmmakers, please! If your movie isn't Schindler's List or Titanic (where every single FRAME keeps you hooked and moving the story forward) then stay away from these bloated runtimes. It would actually be better for you. Shorter movies are less expensive, get completed faster and alienate less people.

In summary, you might want to skip this one, it ain't no mind-blowing, transformative experience.

This movie will probably become a standard for many of us 90s babies. I related incredibly to Julie. I don't know anything about life, what are we supposed to do with it? What's the point of going into med school if the world is very slowly coming to an end, does anything matter? Should I now become a psychologist to assist my generational peers riddled with anxiety? Or should I reinvent myself as a photographer? I can already hear the conservative boomers complaining that we're the generation that won't stick to anything. Do we ever get a certificate once we "graduate" as adults? Is having children what defines us as grown-ups? Or is it owning a house? Will we get to fully know ourselves... EVER!? Julie beats herself up for making mistakes that are absolutely human. Her life is an episodic rhythm of uncertainty. Maybe stalling in life is a life choice itself, because stillness is convenient. But it doesn't matter. You can be free of the responsibilities of decision-making or you can choose your own path, there will be equal consequences anyway.

Renate Reinsve also should've gotten an Oscar nomination for her portrayal.