The Humbling (2015)

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

This film speaks to the genius of Al Pacino. Where an ordinary actor, or in his case film icon, would dictate his life story to a writer or simply write a book, in staying true to his magnitude as an actor and being the true artist that he is, he decides to sum up parts of his life, make into a film with extreme highs and lows obviously. Yes, it is an adaptation of a novel, but adapted into a script that Pacino can speak through and put his stamp on. Am I talking out of thin air? No! I was fortunate enough to see a screening of it where Al Pacino spoke afterwards, and he himself said it was somewhat autobiographical, and that's the way I felt when I was watching the film, and that it took about a year to write the script, or adapt it into the film, so it was wonderful to hear him confirm that "autobiographical part". I think he may continue to make films like this for a while, that he can speak about his own life through, his true fans will appreciate it, and it will be a part of his legacy as an actor. Good for him!It's brilliantly funny, and it's for the intellectual palate, it's not your typical Hollywood comedy with silly fart jokes, this is humor with sophistication, humor that actually titillates your brain. It's also low budget, don't expect explosions and cgi, this is an actor's film. For people who love good acting and an intricate story. His acting in it is superb, this is my personal favorite performance of his. You get a window into his intellect, his personal thoughts on acting all through this character. At the end you come out knowing this man is only interested in one thing, the truth in his work, and being truthful in it. When the film opened, I said to myself "oh, this is similar to Birman," (which I thought was just okay) but as it progressed, I realized there was no comparisons and all of the accolades that film got, The Humbling deserved and I personally loved it. They're similar except this is a million times better, you actually get what it's about and it's not abstract for the sake of being abstract with fancy camera tricks to distract you from a fragmented story. Yes there are so many partisan reviews promoting self-interest and bashing good films that deserve a chance. I urge everyone who loves Pacino or has loved any film he's been in prior to see this film.

I was excited when I heard that Al Pacino was going to star in a movie based on Philip Roth's novel The Humbling. I've read all of Roth's novels and I was hugely impressed by the film version of his first, Goodbye Columbus. Alas, the other film versions of Roth's novels have been disappointing, from the miscast Human Stain, the lackluster Elegy (from his novel The Dying Animal) to the ineptly terrible Portnoy's Complaint. I hoped that Pacino would help make The Humbling memorable. Pacino is great in the movie. So is Greta Gerwig, whose magnetic personality revives Pacino's aged actor and draws her female and transsexual exes back to her, despite her starting a new relationship with a man. What lets the film down is the script. Several people have commented here on the Last Act's similarities with Birdman. I don't know who came up with the idea first of having a troubled older actor having a breakdown on the stage and confusing fantasy and reality. Roth's Simon Axler is aware of what's happening to him and around him. He doesn't have any illusions about Pegeen and her past: as in the film, her ex lover, the dean, warns him constantly that Pegeen uses people and dumps them when she's through with them. He knows he's bankrupting himself by buying her expensive clothes (it would have helped the film to show them going around Prada stores in New York rather than an ordinary looking clothing store near Simon's house.) In the book Simon doesn't return to the stage. Pegeen comes to spend the weekend at his house. He's ready to tell her that he can father a child, after meeting with a doctor and having a fertility check. Before they can have dinner and talk, Pegeen appears with a packed bag and tells him it's over. She takes her expensive clothes and he suspects she's leaving him for the woman they picked up at the restaurant. I was let down that the threesome scene, so pivotal in the book, is revealed to be a fantasy sequence in the movie- we see Simon waking to find Pegeen and the woman hand in hand, ignoring him. The novel's Simon enjoys Pegeen's audaciousness, and despite his back problems encourages her in exploring her desires. The sex toys make an appearance in the film too, but as a symbol of Simon's not being able to satisfy her. Pacino's Simon isn't anywhere as adventurous as Pegeen, and it's no wonder when she leaves him. I was also surprised by Sybil's speech to Simon revealing that she discovered her husband abusing her 8 year old daughter. She's tragic in the book, and ends up killing her husband, then killing herself. In the film the abuse is brushed away and quickly forgotten. Like Sybil's family, Simon and the audience see her as a deluded character who's fixated on Simon's acting as a hit man to shoot her husband, as he once played a Death Wish type role in a movie. The movie begins with several promising themes about losing one's gift, one's way in life, and fantasy being taken for reality, then reality as fodder for sensationalism- Sybil turns into another hot story on True Crime TV programs. The movie would be far more powerful if it followed the novel more, if it ended with Simon alone, with his life empty, turning to a Hemingway style suicide, thinking of Sybil as a last inspiration. Instead, there's a final scene derivative of Birdman's real gun being fired on stage that is utterly unconvincing. Surely if an actor stabs himself with a real knife the other actors wouldn't continue with the final lines of the play but would call an ambulance instead. The Last Act is worth watching, but I recommend that people read the book before they see the movie, and think of how it could have been a heartbreaking view of a man who like King Lear, has to face his hard existence after he has lost his power and the one who he loves.

Review: I really got frustrated and annoyed with this film because Al Pacino is chatting complete crap from the beginning to the end. I understand that the man is going through a mid-life crisis and he's finding hard to separate his stage acting to real life but the script is a right mess and I personally found it quite confusing. Al Pacino puts in a top performance, as usual, and he shows some deep emotion throughout the film but the film seemed pointless and I struggled to stay interested. The relationship with his best friends lesbian daughter was strange and sketchy, along with the weird girl who wanted him to kill her husband. This isn't as bad as Al Pacino's embarrassing moment in Jack and Jill when he's attempting to rap but it has to go down as one of his worse films. I don't know what the director was trying to attempt with the movie and the whole feel and flow of the film was awful. After waiting so long for Pacino to release a film, I am really disappointed with this bad attempt at an in depth look into a struggling actors career. I just hope that he comes out with something decent next time. Disappointing!Round-Up: What the hell has happened to Pacino? Since Scarface and the Godfather days, he has been one of my favourite actors but he has really made some crap lately. From the terrible Jack & Jill to the average Stand Up Guys and The Son Of No One, he isn't guaranteed to pull in a big audiences in the cinemas anymore. Part of it is due to the terrible movies that he has picked to star in and another part is that he actually over acts in some of his roles. Greata Gerwig put in a good performance, which must have been hard next to the Hollywood legend but she also seemed to be chatting rubbish most of the time. It was good to see Charles Grodin back on the big screen, who I loved in Midnight Run and Dave but the director didn't make the most out of the cast. I recommend this movie to people who are into their comedy/dramas about an actor whose going through a mid-life crisis and struggles to separate his stage acting to real life. 3/10

Al Pacino leads Barry Levinson's 'The Humbling', which despite some arresting moments, is an Uneven Comedy. Its a slow-paced tale of an artist losing his mind, but Pacino never makes him melodramatic or nagging.'The Humbling' Synopsis: A stage actor who is slowly losing his mind engages in a relationship with a sexually confused younger woman.'The Humbling' is a terrific idea, which doesn't translate into a terrific film. Reason? The Erratic Screenplay, which appeals in bits & pieces. Buck Henry & Michal Zebede's Screenplay, which is based on a book by the same name, is situationally funny, but overall, its erratic. There are moments when you feel for the protagonist, but at times, you just disconnect. Better Writing was the need of the day!Levinson's Direction, however, is as complex as ever. Cinematography is aptly mounted, while the Editing lacks sharpness.Coming to performances, Pacino is the life of 'The Humbling'. As an artist losing all he's got, the legend gives us a character that remains with you even after the show concludes. He's excellent. Greta Gerwig & Dianne Wiest deserve a special mention, for their brilliant performances, as well.On the whole, 'The Humbling' will mostly appeal to Pacino fans.