Often times, when an iconic figure in history, and specifically pop culture, is recreated for the purpose of film, we can’t help but have preconceived notions of the subject, who will either live up to our standards, or be a flimsy caricature of said person. While I had heard of author David Foster Wallace before reviewing The End of the Tour, I was not as familiar with him as were the other attendees at the film’s screening, where I soon realized that I was sitting amongst a crowd of literary conscious NPR members. The early and scattered premature uncertainty of Jason Segel’s performance as the beloved D.F.W. didn’t go unheard by me, and yet any question or doubt this room had going into the film was answered by the end. Not only is Segel mesmerizing, The End of the Tour stands as an early contender for a Best Picture Oscar nomination.
The End of the Tour is based on real-life journalist David Lipsky’s critically acclaimed memoir, Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace, which chronicles the highs and lows of his 1996 five day journey with his interviewee-author. Jesse Eisenberg plays Lipsky, himself a novelist with a fasciation with Wallace. While working as a reporter for Rolling Stone magazine, Lipsky convinces his boss to let him join Wallace on the last leg of his book tour for the post-modern masterwork, Infinite Jest, scoring a days-long exclusive with the writer dubbed genius.
Lipsky, a fast-talking and socially awkward man, first meets the reserved, introspective Wallace at his home. Subtle humor is sprinkled throughout this first “getting to know you” scene, and it’s here where the tone is set for the rest of the film. As the days go by, the bond grows stronger between Lipsky and Wallace, and what was initially a more formal and awkward Q&A evolves into a free flowing and revealing, conversational interview.
A neatly wrapped package with stand out performances, this is an example of what really good filmmaking looks and, more importantly, feels like.
Inevitably, as a journalist who also happens to be a fan, Lipsky gets too close to his mesmerizing subject to stay objective. Yet the breaking of this ethical code is what it takes for Wallace’s emotional walls to come down, as he begins to bare his soul to a man he just met. Pretty soon, we, as well as the characters on screen, step back and ask ourselves, who is interviewing who?
It is easy to chart where Wallace’s-depicted personality breaks through and wins us over. The thoughtful dialogue between both characters is sharp and tactful, one of my favorite lines being “reading you is another way of meeting you,” but the minutes-long monologues are where Segel really shines. His honesty and disenchantment with fame is a refreshing perspective on life, and his humility is applaud-worthy. He observes that American life has us programmed to want to achieve everything, but there is nothing wrong with ultimately wanting to stray from the mainstream and be left alone. This is the inspiring path Wallace is choosing to take, but can’t help but let his “Lone Wolf” lifestyle, depression, and loneliness get the best of him.
Segel and Eisenberg’s performances are magnetically matched, the intensity of their relationship growing stronger throughout the film. Much credit is due to screenwriter Donald Margulies, who himself is a Pulitzer-Prize winning writer. He tackles The End of the Tour with stark realism, highbrow humor, and bittersweet insight. This is evident in the film’s final moments, which ends with a single, affecting word.
Director James Ponsoldt’s big break into mainstream cinema came in 2013 with the coming-of-age film, The Spectacular Now. Avoiding many of the stereotypical pitfalls most young-adult stories fall victim to, Ponsoldt captured sensitivity and poignancy that left a lasting impression on audiences. The Miles Teller-Shailene Woodley starring film paved the way for this next feature, and it is with this same attention to detail and wistfulness that The End of the Tour is greeted.
Meditative and thought provoking, The End of the Tour captures the complexity of one man’s life through a delicate lens. A neatly wrapped package with stand-out performances, this is an example of what finely-crafted filmmaking looks and, more importantly, feels like. One thing to note–there is a hidden gem if you stay through the end of the film that delights, just like how I’d imagine David reacting to this surprise if the film was to continue on. It will bring a smile to your face and lead you to tip your hat to the creativity and talent of Ponsoldt in insightfully capturing the essence of a brief yet honest, and almost magical, moment in this reclusive genius’ life.
The End of the Tour opens at the ArcLight Hollywood and Landmark Theaters this Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqUa5sYHC9s
