Bleecker Street
I find it funny how the same sorts of themes repeat themselves in so many movies. There seems to be something about the industry that lends itself to examinations of existential crises, specifically about art. In this movie, much like many others, there is an exploration of the unhappiness associated with commercial success and whether or not there’s emptiness there instead of substance. Some movies take it in a sad, depressing way, others go light and absurd (like Russell Brand in Get Him to the Greek). I don’t think there’s just one way to tell the story of someone out of place in life, but that doesn’t mean it always works.
Danny Collins, from writer-director Dan Fogelman (no relation), is about an aging rocker after a lifetime of excess and success, at least in terms of money. Al Pacino plays Danny in one of the best performances I’ve seen from him in years. He’s not phoning it in or relying on his outsized personality for laughs, and it shows. Danny has gained prominence from a song called “Hey Baby Doll,” a sort of earwormy, catchy tune that’s also without any meaning or subtlety at all. But his rapidly aging fan base still laps it up, keeping Danny flush with money, drugs, and even a much younger new fiance. At his birthday party, Danny doesn’t seem to enjoying himself anymore.
And then there’s the note.
Frank Grubman (a sublime Christopher Plummer), Danny’s manager, reveals a very special gift. Forty years earlier, at the start of Danny’s career, he gave an interview to a magazine citing John Lennon as in inspiration, but he also expressed worries about selling out. Apparently John had sent a personal letter to Danny, care of the magazine, but the magazine owner held onto it until he died many years later. And Danny never knew. Until now, after a memorabilia collector has uncovered it. And suddenly for Danny, everything changes. This letter gives him new life and a new challenge: don’t let yourself think that fame will corrupt you. Instead, it argues, only you can do that.
In my opinion, it’s easy to buy into the conflicts here. tweet
The movie is based on a real life story Dan Fogelman heard about folk singer Steve Tilston who got a similar letter, although he never reached the level of fame the fictional Danny Collins does. But that’s just the backbone, the inspiration for creating this story. In my opinion, it’s easy to buy into the conflicts here.
So Danny quits his tour and absconds to a small Hilton in New Jersey, seemingly to work on his first new songs in ages. He flirts with Mary (Annette Bening), the manager of the hotel, and seems to be happy for the first time in years. But he has an ulterior motive; his out of wedlock son, Tom Donnelly (Bobby Cannavale), lives nearby and Danny wants to finally get in touch with his only living family left. Naturally, of course, it’s not that simple. Tom doesn’t want anything to do with the father he only knows as the famous guy who knocked up his mother, but there are hidden secrets and layers to it all. He has a wife (Jennifer Garner) and a daughter (Giselle Eisenberg) with special needs.
The question becomes whether or not Danny will manage to salvage this fledgling relationship with his son, be happy in general, or just fall back into his old ways. Some twists may seem predictable, but there are a lot of interesting directions in which the story goes. I really liked this movie. All of the acting is great, even the little girl, who apparently improvised many of her lines. Portraying kids in general is hard, not to mention ones with disabilities. But it works here.
Al Pacino did a great job, clearly connecting with the part. tweet
I was a bit apprehensive about Al Pacino beforehand, because I haven’t seen something really good from him in a very long time. But he did a great job, clearly connecting with the part. He was at times charismatic and heartbreaking in equal measures. The movie does good work balancing the parts with humorous banter and devastating mistakes. Danny keeps pushing to connect, because it’s all he can do, despite his son pushing back. When the credits roll, you may still wonder a bit, but you’ll be happy about how it all came together. And sometimes a movie works best when it can just … connect.
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