FILM REVIEW: “NEBRASKA”

Alexander Payne, director of “SIDEWAYS” and “THE DESCENDANTS” has a new film out about a man who thinks he’s won a million dollars called “NEBRASKA“.

Nebraska film poster

This movie is slow, in black and white, and hilarious. The 12 million dollar budget, although moderator, still allows the film to bring in a dynamite cast lead by one of my favorite actors, Bruce Dern (BTW, one of my favorite movies of all time is Digstown)

Bruce Dern

Now the picture you see above was taken by while I was watching the film at The Arc Light Theater off of Sunset in Hollywood and by taking said photo it created a conflict for me during the entire watching of the film. See, I’m captivated by old faces. I find them to be endlessly fascinating and I also love Bruce Dern, so I snuck a photo. Now some would say that is wrong. In this day in age with everyone having a camera in their pocket it seems like a small injustice but none-the-less some find fault in my actions. One of these people was sitting behind me and as I was taking a, for the record ‘quick’ photo, the man taped me on the shoulder and with stern authority said, “Hey, could you not do that.” Knowing I already got the photo and not wanting any more conflict I put my phone away. But then my ego started fucking with me, “Who the fuck does this guy think he is?” I no longer could just enjoy the film I was now worried that this complete stranger was judging me and I couldn’t get it out of my head. Was he right? Even if he was right who the fuck does this guy think he is? The more I thought about it I convinced myself that the man was being a bit much but then, because I live in Hollywood and this was the opening Friday that the movie was screening, I thought what if that man was Alexander Payne? What if I pissed off the guy who made the film? It’s very possible. It’s a very popular theater and I’ve seen humous celebrities there before and the guy kind of looked like Alexander Payne. Now I’m watching this film that I really like while I’ve potentially offended the person who created the film. Regardless if it was Alexander Payne or not, by this time, I had let myself think it was. I only got a quick glance at the dude but I could have totally been him.

So this tension is with me the entire screening and as the credits are rolling I collect myself and think, “Maybe he was right to tell me not to take a picture of the movie.” But now a new problem has arisen for me. Now, I want to know why? So I keep the man in my peripheral vision and as the last person leaves the theater I turn and around and as politely as possible I start to ask the man why he asked me not to take a photo. But alas, no one there and I was alone in theater.

2013 films

 

So what do you think? Was I being an asshole for trying to capture this work of art while possibly at the same time annoying the man who was sitting behind me or was this stranger out of line? Either way I think you should see this great film and the many more that are out this holiday season.

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