Demolition
- Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
- Writer: Bryan Sipe
- Producer: Helen Estabrook; Carla Hacken
CGiii Comment
Grief affects each and every individual differently...there are no rules to the grieving process.
Distraction helps...destruction does...too!
What if your life doesn't fall apart after a catastrophic event...instead, you ceremoniously dismantle it bit-by-bit...life goes on, unbearably so.
A sudden death brings guilt and revelation...yeah, there are no rules to the grieving process.
There are no weak links in this tale of deconstruction...the writing - especially - is a smorgasbord of light and shade. It's dark, it's funny, it's emotional.
Gyllenhaal throws himself into the character...you want to shake him, you want to slap him, you want to hug him...and the potential for him to go to darker places is there - clearly visible - on the horizon.
Vallée makes sure that not all the twists and turns are clearly that visible. Red-herrings and blind alleyways...just enough to keep yuou on the edge of your seat.
There are moments of tenderness. Judah Lewis is startling in his role as a young man...discovering his sexuality. He and Gyllenhaal bounce off each other with a warmth that underpins the whole film.
A fine, fine film...showing everyone one involved at the top of their game.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
Davis (Jake Gyllenhaal), a successful investment banker, struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash. Despite pressure from his father-in-law, Phil (Chris Cooper), to pull it together, Davis continues to unravel. What starts as a complaint letter to a vending machine company turns into a series of letters revealing startling personal admissions. Davis' letters catch the attention of customer service rep, Karen (Naomi Watts), and, amidst emotional and financial burdens of her own, the two form an unlikely connection. With the help of Karen and her son Chris (Judah Lewis), Davis starts to rebuild, beginning with the demolition of the life he once knew.
Cast & Characters
Jake Gyllenhaal as Davis Mitchell;
Naomi Watts as Karen Moreno;
Chris Cooper as Phil;
Heather Lind as Julia;
Polly Draper as Margot;
Brendan Dooling as Todd Koehler;
Judah Lewis as Chris Moreno;
Hani Avital as Young Waitress;
Wass Stevens as Jimmy;
Celia Au as Punk Girl;
Royce Johnson as Security Guard;
C.J. Wilson as Carl;
Nancy Ellen Shore as Socialite philanthropist;
Alfredo Narciso as Michael;
Tom Kemp as Dr. Brodkey