Watched in the cinema (28th visit in 2022)

"C'mon C'mon" is about an estranged uncle who has to take care of a child in an emergency situation, at first somewhat alienated by it, but eventually grows into this new task. There have been a few examples of this scenario in recent years. "Manchester by the Sea" even won an Oscar with it. In this respect, it would be easy to write off "C'mon, C'mon" in advance because of its supposedly irrelevant, interchangeable story. But it would be wrong. Even if the film follows the well-trodden paths in many places, it still has enough stubbornness to stand out pleasantly from the numerous competitors. Even more, the drama is already one of my big cinema highlights of 2022.

At first, "C'mon, C'mon" is a bit out of the ordinary, because this forced rapprochement is, for once, not the result of a death. But that doesn't mean the film is free of family tragedies. There is the difficult relationship between the two siblings. There is the story with the dementia-stricken mother and generally an imbalance in the parent-child relationships. And now Viv (Gaby Hoffmann) has to deal with her husband's psychotic episodes as well. It's a bit much. In the hands of less talented filmmakers, this could easily have become one of those manipulative melodramas that tries to cover up a lack of credibility with intrusive music and quite a bit of pathos.

Fortunately, though, Mike Mills is no untalented filmmaker. Instead, he shows himself to be a sensitive storyteller with an eye for detail. Laying it on thick is not his thing. He prefers it quieter, more unspectacular. Many scenes in "C'mon, C'mon" consist only of dialogues, many of which deal with everyday matters. Later, when Johnny (Joaquin Phoenix) and Jesse (Woody Norman) go on a trip together, they and we learn more about each other over time. But they also learn quite a bit about themselves. Johnny, unlike his sister and nephew, is not necessarily one to talk about or confront his inner self. In this way, their time together becomes an opportunity to get to know themselves better.

Character actor Joaquin Phoenix is of course a very good choice for such a role. He easily manages to bring out the different nuances of his character without always having to verbalize this in a big way. "C'mon, C'mon" is a pleasantly restrained film that is indeed artfully staged - note the beautiful black-and-white shots by its cinematographer Robbie Ryan. It's not contrived, however, but balances the banal with the special. Likes the play on the whimsical when the two main characters are each their own, but never rests on it.

Also interesting are the recurring interpolations in which Johnny asks other kids and teens about their respective views of the future. While this has little to do with the family story, it fits very well with the introspective nature of the film, in which everyone is searching for answers and dealing with uncertainties. The point is not to give you definitive answers. There are hardly any of those in the film. "C'mon, C'mon" is more an invitation to think for oneself, to exchange ideas with others and to face one's own worries and desires. This goes hand in hand with a lot of charm, with moments that in one way or another get to you, entertain you, but can also be sad. In the end, the world may not have become a better place. But it at least seems a bit better and more hopeful, without Mills having to resort to cheap tricks and artificial happy endings.