[Review] Beau Is Afraid (4/10)

 

Title - Beau Is Afraid
Production - A24, Access Entertainment
Starring - Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Kylie Rogers, Patti LuPone, Zoe Lister-Jones, Parker Posey, Armen Nahapetian, Julia Antonelli, Richard Kind
Writer - Ari Aster
Director - Ari Aster
Release - 21 April 2023

How does a movie maker like Ari Aster, with small box office successes like Hereditary, and coming off of the lukewarm audience reception of Midsommar; managed to convince A24 to produce a three-hour, crazy, nonsensical movie like Beau Is Afraid?

I haven't seen a movie that is as crazy as this in a long time, and definitely the most bizarre of this year.

Right from the start we were thrown into a chaotic city where anything goes and where Beau resided. How was it that when indoors everything was normal but out on the streets, it's like a bad video game with no rules and no laws - even though we did see police. 

Though sometimes, as expertly crafted by Aster, some scenes were definitely funny; and for the first hour it was still easy to sit through because it was the discovery stage and getting to know this world; but after that I didn't know how to sit through the nonsensical parts. 

But every time when the movie was rooted in logic and normalcy, it was great. Just like the final act. But if I had paid for a ticket and made the effort to go to a cinema for this, I don't think I would have stayed. 

Still, trust Joaquin Phoenix to be completely committed and deliver an Oscar-worthy role even when the material was as whacky as this. He probably may end up winning, too. 

Towards the very end there was a shot of Beau just walking away from his house, with a distorted facial expression; that was by far the most disturbing scene from a movie with a lot of disturbing scenes.

And that final act with a brilliant performance as well by Patti LuPone, was worth the watch.