This Must Be the Place (2012)

Absolutely brilliant

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Depressed that his music motivated two teenagers to commit suicide, a former rock star finds a reason to live again after discovering that his recently deceased father hunted Nazi war criminals in this odd comedy-drama blend starring Sean Penn. The movie certainly sounds intriguing enough as Penn decides to carry on his father's quest, however, over a third of the film elapses before it reaches this point and then the pre-hunt scenes end up resonating more than the hunt ones. Penn's lifestyle is fascinating - residing in a mansion with a firefighter wife and a surrogate daughter in the former of a young fan (Eve Hewson) who he tries to play matchmaker for - and all the while long, Penn dons his stage makeup and speaks softly in near monotone. While they come with little narrative drive, it is nevertheless disappointing when these elements get pushed to the backdrop for Penn to continue his dad's quest. We never really learn how Hewson and Penn met, and the extent of their relationship (Penn potently verbalises a regret that he never had children of his own at one point). Nor do we learn how he came to meet his wife who seems entirely unlike him. Whatever the case, the film is very much propelled by Penn's performance. Always wearing full makeup, it initially comes off as a gimmicky performance, however, Penn manages to still let us see his character's soul beneath the razzle dazzle. There is an especially interesting sequence where he meets a former history teacher who has forgotten him, just like he has almost forgotten his old self beneath the makeup.

Maybe like me you've seen the trailer and you thought it looked interesting and now you're wondering if you should see it. The answer is no, you don't have to. Sean Penn plays a washed-up has-been rock-star who shuffles trough life mumbling incomprehensibly much like Ozzy Osborne. He goes on a roadtrip looking for the 95 year old Nazi who tortured his father. One has to wonder who would come up with such a strange combination of elements. That's a bit what the whole film feels like. it has many great photographic compositions but they don't always seem to serve a purpose. Penn's character also meets different people along the way but it's not clear what they add to the plot other than to prolong the ending. The music is by David Byrne and the title of the film is a reference to one of his songs. For intellectuals and people pretending to 'get' the better movies it will all supposedly make sense but I'm guessing it requires more background knowledge than the average viewer of this film (including me) possesses. As a results you're left gawking at the beautiful imagery without understanding the implied meaning. The film clocks in at 118 min and thanks to the (intentionally) slow pace it seems to last even longer. I think you can best enjoy this one laid back in your sofa on a Sunday afternoon with a joint, some beers and a snack and let it just float by. If you over-think it too much you'll hate it (unless you're one of the earlier mentioned people).

Set in both Ireland and the continental United States, This Must Be the Place is a sweetly weird meditation on love and death. The protagonist, Cheyenne (in a standout performance by Sean Penn), is equal parts glam-and-gloom rocker and modern-day mystic, offering, through dialogue, insights into the human condition without overstepping into the territory of pretension. Sorrentino's direction is exquisite here, as is his timing. The humor balances out the despair at just the right moments; the pacing of the film feels balanced, as well. In addition, Byrne's score is both eerie and warming (and adding Will Oldham always brings positive results).This is a film that poses the question, "How do we make right the wrongs from the past?" and genuinely attempts to answer it with a unique perspective that doesn't rely on conventions or expectations. It's one of those cases where the correct mixture of people got together and made a memorable piece of art that reminds us how to feel.

I admit I was put off by the retired rock star formula but eventually I got to see this film and I am so pleased I did. Sean Penn's portrayal of Cheyenne is unmissable and he is well supported by a great cast. And although the pursuit of the Nazi who persecuted Cheyenne's father is foremost in the plot summaries I have seen there is a lot more to savour in this slow revelation of a changing man. Penn makes his character unwind and grow as the film progresses. There are many ways in which revelations are made and the script is beautifully judged to get the most out of the dialogue which is, at times, wonderful, beautiful, stunning, call it what you will.And such sumptuous cinematography, such clever use of sound, such beautifully lingering moments to take our breath away. And the likely final shots of this film are never signposted and do not give way to sentimentality. We see, think and feel what the actors see, think and feel and I cannot compliment a film more highly than that. And there are so many one liners that could be quoted as favourites from a script just littered with them.This is a film that'll need some concentration on your part, not because it is hard work, but because you'll be engrossed by it. I give it nine out of ten and recommend it to all those old enough to see it.