Actor Paul Dano, who first proved his dramatic acting-chops in L.I.E. (2001), playing a latch-key child who confides with an elderly pedophile, rises to the occasion in Being Flynn. Dano maintains a wonderful balance with De Niro's offensive, comic-serious depravity. Although I was mildly disappointed with the shiftiness of both comedic and dramatic elements, which was painstakingly brilliant in Alexander Payne's The Descendants, the performances of both Dano and De Niro easily stood their ground.
Instead of falling into radical stereotypes of the homeless culture – abrasive and Bible-thumping streetwalkers – the writer steadily peels away Jonathan Flynn's dignity, until he develops a rugged look that requires him to take his free cup of coffee outside, rather than dine in at his favorite cafe. Watching De Niro rebel in a childish rage is an absolute joy to watch. Every detail in his physique—the chip tooth and wear-and-tear of his costume—is a reminder that no matter how many “Little Focker” sequels he signs up for, he's still one of the greatest method actors of our time, willing to go through any transformation that the script requires. A remarkable acting feat; even somewhat reminiscent of his classic portrayal in Taxi Driver (1976).
One of the film's strengths is the dual voice-overs of both Jonathan and Nick. The subjective narrations of both Dano and De Niro displays a connection between two writers. The film digs into Nick's past childhood, to where he finds his mother, played by the talented Julianne Moore, dead in their home. These flashback scenes sets-up his character's descent into progressive drug and alcohol addiction. In the opening scene, his girlfriend discovers his dark poetry, which foreshadows both his substance abuse and inherent writing gifts.
Being Flynn ends on a rather odd note. I haven't read the memoir, "Another Bullshit Night in Suck City," which the film is based upon, but I assume there's more to the story the screenwriter could've developed. I loved Paul Dano's turbulent portrayal as Nick. I wanted a stronger focus on his relationship with his love interest, rather than his father. I can relate to Nick's anguish and struggle to define himself as an artist. Being Flynn entertained me more than disappointed. Since I've seen the film, none of my friends have heard about it. Even the name Robert De Niro doesn't attract the large majority. I think this is a good example how indie films get the low end of the marketing stick. I would be surprised how well it would've done with a wider distribution.
*** (out of four stars)
