Being Flynn - 1 smile

How entertaining can a movie be if both of the central characters are unlikeable? Robert De Niro plays Jonathan Flynn, a miserable guy with delusions of grandeur and no redeeming qualities. And rather than develop this character, De Niro gives us bombastic over-acting, which is odd given that the film is based on playwright/poet Nick Flynn’s 2004 memoir and adapted by director Paul Weitz. Nick (Paul Dano) is shaken when his long-absent father, Jonathan, casually reappears in his life. Brimming with narcissism and bigotry, Jonathan has little to offer in the way of fatherly affection and he continually brags to his son about a masterpiece he claims to be writing. But you never really learn why Jonathan is so egotistical and cruel to his son. Alcohol is involved, and probably mental illness, but there is no back story to know for sure. And neither is it clear why Nick’s loving mother (Julianne Moore seen in flashbacks) inexplicably commits suicide. No doubt there are more details in Flynn’s memoir, but Weitz neglects to include them. And Nick, a twenty-something, seems content to drift along, eventually taking a job at a homeless shelter, where he encounters his long-absent father. Added to Nick’s pain is the fear that he’s becoming like his father as he grapples with his own addiction problems. “Being Flynn” dishes out plenty of misery and by the time events conclude, you’re happy the movie is over. 2/15/12