C'mon C'mon - Featured Film of Interest - Highly Recommended

This film is absolutely endearing.  Directed by Mike Mills and integrating unique modes of production, aesthetics, and documentary-style inserts, it manages to maintain an intimacy tilting between unavoidable sadness and joyous hope, while never forgetting itself and never losing it's heart.  Yes indeed, this one hit just right.  

Ever since a little film called Thumbsucker popped up in the mid-2000's, I've been waiting to see just how good Mike Mills can be.  Thumbsucker was an excellent little indie film, original and quirky, that to some degree got overlooked, though well received by many critics and festivals.  Though it wasn't a film without missteps, it showed enormous hope for his future projects.  Then I just lost track of him, and he didn't quite garner the attention that I expected... until now.  The way I stated it to a close film ally and friend immediately after leaving the theater was, "Any critic that slams or disregards this film has no soul."

In large, C'mon C'mon is a film of raw honesty that serves as an ode to the intellect and awareness of young people, and the adults that so earnestly stumble, and at times transcend, to guide and raise them in this absurd world.  It is shot in pristine black and white that rivals the visual likes of La Haine, and the cinematographer and production designer take full advantage. It's a beautiful film inside and out.  

I would be remiss to end comments without noting the performances.  To no surprise, Joaquin Phoenix and Gaby Hoffmann gave invested, intimate performances while seeming effortless.  Woody Norman could not have been better in a youthful performance for the times, because it just didn't seem like a performance at all.

I had the privilege, and I do mean privilege, of screening C'mom C'mon at the 34th Annual Virginia Film Festival in my sacred, intimate film fest context.  Though there was some intensely quality competition in feature length narrative fiction, and admittedly a tough call for me, this film is indeed my favorite of the 2021 VAFF.

Link:  C'mon C'mon Film Review (2021), Roger Ebert.com