The Humbling

There are some really great actors who have developed themselves over the years, proving that we still have hope to have quality films being made in the future. That of course include many new talented directors, who also want to give us well made motion pictures, with more substance instead of a surface only. Even how we turn things around, i have a feeling we can not deny that old school actors will always be respected. And we have many names that would be worth to mention. For now, let us talk about the legend Al Pacino. If you look at his films, from the early 70´s, up until today, he have made so many great films, you have to admit that he is one of a kind. From the Scarface remake in 1983, to Donnie Brasco in 1997, no matter where Al Pacino landed a role, he could always give his performances something unforgettable. Most people would probably talk about his character in The Godfather films, i could also do that if i would, but i feel he have done so many wonderful films in his career that we should break the ice. Does some of you remember his performance in Dog Day Afternoon ? Now this is a classic cult film, that should be in your home on dvd, or on blu ray if you prefer. Who can forget him in Michael Mann´s classic 90´s action thriller Heat, with Robert De Niro included in the cast ? We could go on forever and talk about many classics, and how much Al Pacino have influenced many actors, with his unique way to take on many different characters. After the millenium kicked in, it seemed as Pacino decided to choose more simple roles. I remember especially one film, Simone from 2002. To be honest, i did not like this film that much, and it seemed as Pacino wanted to go a different way than his classic films. Not a bad idea, unless you have a good script in your hands, and Simone did not deliver anything. Another example is the film 44 Minutes from 2007. This could possibly be one of his worst thrillers ever, while he was really good in the remake of the norwegian film Insomnia. Within the last years, he have done some smaller films for HBO, and i really loved the film You Don´t Know Jack. This film is based on the true story of Jack Kevorkian, an american pathologist, euthanasia activist, who wanted to help patients to die as they wish, even if it was forbidden. I would probably say that this is one of Al Pacino´s best performances in many years. So here we are with a different film, called The Humbling. Based on the novel by Philip Roth, this is a film directed by legendar director Barry Levinson, who directed Good Morning ,Vietnam, Rain Man and Wag The Dog among some classics. With Al Pacino in the lead role, and a legendary director on board, is The Humbling a film that gives us more than we could hoped for, or is this not worth your time ?

Simon Axler ( Al Pacino ) is a respected theatre actor, who have been praised for his acting on stage. One day he falls on stage, and is institutionalized where he is suspected to have dementia. He begins to be treated with medication, and also go to therapy sessions. Another patient, Sybil ( Nina Arianda ) loves spending time with Simon, and suggest that he should kill her husband. Simon thinks that Sybil is insane, and refuse to do this. When Simon is finally ready to move home, with someone looking after him, he gets a visitor. Pegeen Mike Stapelford ( Greta Gerwig ) is the daughter to one of Simon´s old friends, and she wanted to see him again after many years. She is a lesbian, but is attracted to Simon, and this does not make any sense in Simon´s world. Still, they spend a lot of time together. Pegeen´s lesbian partner Louise Trenner ( Kyra Sedgwick ) confront Simon of what he have done with Pegeen. The problem is that Simon have no idea how Pegeen decided to be with him instead, so have no answer to Louise. While this situation is complicated, Simon is trying to handle his own health issues, and Sybil is still trying to convince him to kill her husband. Simon tries to make the best out of what is going on,  somehow everything is more complicated since Pegeen came back into his life.

If you decide to see this film, after reading my review, i should tell you some details. This is not a film for you if you don´t like a lot of dialogue, and there are plenty of scenes with conversations, and theatre acting. For me personally i don´t have a problem with this, since i prefer stories that try to keep the audience interested, without using CGI or Michael Bay influenced scenes. The Humbling is without a doubt a different film for Al Pacino, i can´t remember if i have ever seen him do something like this film. He have done some theatre plays in the past, but The Humbling is definetely different. One difference is that this is not a story about theatre acting completely, it is also a story about becoming ill, having demensia disease. This combination makes the story feel especially interesting, just imagine you love to act on stage infront of an audience, but when demensia strikes everything changes. The Humbling switches different perspectives, as we see Pacino talk to people, while he tries to handle the situation of someone need of personal changes. You might think that the therapy sessions would help, but you can tell he does not like the idea of being seen as an ill person. The most charming part of this film, is the friendship between Simon and Pegeen, as they spend time together, even though the age difference is very big. There is a chemistry there that tells you, sometimes age is just a number, what matters is that you spend time with people that make you feel good. Director Barry Levinson have made some classic films in the past, and even if i enjoy The Humbling, i would not say this is one of his better films. The plot is interesting, but there are not enough moments to lift up the characters to a wider level of quality. Al Pacino is the biggest reason why The Humbling works, his acting fills this story with heart, emotions and you begin to think about what really matters in life. I would say that i recommend You Don´t Know Jack more than The Humbling, simply because that film is both very interesting, and the acting from Al Pacino, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman is fantastic. But i suggest if you dare, give The Humbling a try, because this is a film that will give you some thoughts, what it means to become older.

Rating: DDD