In 'Being Flynn', Robert De Niro plays a taxi driver who resents the world around him. Yes, this is a clear reference to 'Taxi Driver', one of De Niro's best films. And no, 'Being Flynn' is not in the same league with this masterpiece. But yes, De Niro shows in this film that he still is a superb actor.
It is somehow fashionable to denounce Robert De Niro as a has-been. True, he has played some parts that tarnished his reputation based upon his work in the seventies and eighties. But in 'Being Flynn', he does a great job playing a taxi driver who becomes a homeless bum but retains his dignity by convincing himself that he is a great writer. His homeless existence is in fact a blessing because it produces lots of 'material' for his great novel, he tells his son who works in the shelter where he spends the night.
The confrontation between father and son is the central element in this movie. The son hates his father who left the family and never cared about his child. But at the same time, he realizes that he could become just as irresponsible as his father - his life is just as aimless. In the end, it all turns out well. Remember, this is a Hollywood product.
That's also the reason the producers took the regrettable decision to change the title of the film. The book it is based upon is called 'Another Bullsh*t Night in Suck City', which in my opinion is a truly great title. Just say it aloud a few times. It has a nice rhythm, and of course it describes a whole mindset in just a few words. The title 'Being Flynn' is bland, dull, uninspired and meaningless. Is says a lot about the US that a relatively innocent word like bullsh*t can't be used for a mainstream film. (I have to write an asterisk instead of an i for the same reason).
Still, there are not many other commercial concessions in this film. There's no sentimentality, nor any moral standpoint. It's a well-performed and efficiently directed father-son drama with De Niro's great acting as a cherry on the cake.
It is somehow fashionable to denounce Robert De Niro as a has-been. True, he has played some parts that tarnished his reputation based upon his work in the seventies and eighties. But in 'Being Flynn', he does a great job playing a taxi driver who becomes a homeless bum but retains his dignity by convincing himself that he is a great writer. His homeless existence is in fact a blessing because it produces lots of 'material' for his great novel, he tells his son who works in the shelter where he spends the night.
The confrontation between father and son is the central element in this movie. The son hates his father who left the family and never cared about his child. But at the same time, he realizes that he could become just as irresponsible as his father - his life is just as aimless. In the end, it all turns out well. Remember, this is a Hollywood product.
That's also the reason the producers took the regrettable decision to change the title of the film. The book it is based upon is called 'Another Bullsh*t Night in Suck City', which in my opinion is a truly great title. Just say it aloud a few times. It has a nice rhythm, and of course it describes a whole mindset in just a few words. The title 'Being Flynn' is bland, dull, uninspired and meaningless. Is says a lot about the US that a relatively innocent word like bullsh*t can't be used for a mainstream film. (I have to write an asterisk instead of an i for the same reason).
Still, there are not many other commercial concessions in this film. There's no sentimentality, nor any moral standpoint. It's a well-performed and efficiently directed father-son drama with De Niro's great acting as a cherry on the cake.