Alma Har'el (2019)
Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe, FKA Twigs Rated 15 Run time 95 minsA film experience quite unlike any other, from a screenplay based on his own experiences, Shia LaBeouf plays his own complicated father, whom he grew up with whilst tentatively entering the world of show business as a young child (here played by Noah Jupe). This is intercut with an older version of Shia Labeouf (played uncannily here by the excellent Lucas Hedges) doing a court-ordered stint in rehab which resulted in him writing this screenplay.
Whilst this may all sound a little too meta, I urge you to watch this film that must be seen to be believed, directed with grace and resolve by Alma Har’el in her narrative feature film directorial debut.
94% – Rotten Tomatoes
7.3/10 – IMDB
“A movie that could easily have crashed and burned. That it does not has something to do with the shared intensity of character and performance. All three main actors share the stage as equals and the level of commitment is remarkable.”
“Playing out mainly in the skid-row motel in Los Angeles where father and son live, Alma Har’el’s dreamlike film leavens the grimness with humanity and humour…”