Lean on Pete

"+ LEAN ON PETE is another minimalistic masterwork by director Andrew Haigh. This is the second of his movies that I have seen, the first being WEEKEND, and it is just as wonderful as that underrated gem. I commented on my review of that movie that it didn't feel like a "gay movie" so much as it was a human movie that featured characters who happened to be gay. This is proof that sexual orientation, though an important aspect of his characters, is not the defining one. Here his characters are presented as straight, and if any of them are otherwise, it isn't strongly advertised, and anyone of them could have made an appearance in WEEKEND and have fit in. I can't overemphasize how crucial this is in understanding the difference between the "Such-and-such-movie" and a movie with authentically written and acted characters that are naturally who and what they are without advertising it. This film is the latter. Charlie Plummer, Steve Buscemi, and Cholë Sevigny are all pitch perfect as broken, scarred people trying to get through a world that clashes with who they want to be, turning idealistic souls into cynical minds. Watching Charlie Plummer's character fight this change within himself as he endures loss after loss while trying to survive in a cold world is soul-wrenching, and by the end, will make you want to embrace him and let him release all of his grief. This is a rare movie that had me wanting to reach through the screen to comfort a character. The screen feels like an unwanted barrier. The musical score is also minimal, working more subliminally than the sweeping ones that cue you in on what to feel. Sometimes the lack of music lets the emotions of the characters play their own compositions. At nearly two hours it is also well edited so that it sometimes feels like two movies without feeling disjointed. The first part is a somewhat domestic drama, while the second is an adventure movie similar to INTO THE WILD. Engaging and penetrating."

"Talk about the feels. If your looking for a tear jerker this one might get you. "