Director: James Ponsoldt
Writers: Donald Margulies (screenplay), David Lipsky (book)
Stars: Jason Segel, Jesse Eisenberg, Anna Chlumsky | See full cast and crew »
Storyline
The story of the five-day interview between Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace, which took place right after the 1996 publication of Wallace's groundbreaking epic novel, 'Infinite Jest.'
The End of The Tour Movie Reviews
"The End of the Tour (2015 release; 106 min.) brings the true story of the 5 days that Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (played by Jesse Eisenberg) hangs out with writer David Foster Wallace (played by Jason Segel) back in 1996. As the movie opens, we her an announcement that Wallace has committed suicide in 2008, and Lipsky is asked to provide a testimonial on NPR. We then see him drifting to "12 Years Earlier", when Wallace's book "Infinite Jest" is just released to universal acclaim. Lipsky wants to do a story on Wallace, and asks his editor: "do you know how many writers Rolling Stone has interviewed in the last 10 years? none!", and the editor agrees to let him do the piece. Off to Illinois goes Lipsky. To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this is the latest movie by up-and-coming director James Ponsoldt, who previously brought us the outstanding indies "Smashed" and "The Spectecular Now". This guy is going places in a hurry. The movie's script is based on Lipsky's 2010 memoir "Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself", itself published to critical acclaim. As to the movie, I was tempted to reference it as an "action of the intellect" movie in the title of this review but then I wondered if it would be too confusing or, worse, off-putting. But in the end, this movie is for all practical purposes the same as, say, Jurassic World or the latest Mission Impossible action movie, but in this case all of the action happens in the brain. Wallace and Lipsky pretty quickly get into all kinds of in-depths conversations about love, loneliness, fame, writing, basically life itself. And yes there is humor too (the bits about Alanis Morissette are hilarious, remember this is set in 1996). But on top of all that, knowing what would happen 12 years on, the movie has definitely a wistful undercurrent. Jason Segel, previously best known for "Jeff, Who Lives At Home", "The Muppets", and "The Five Year Engagement", brings a performance that is so far beyond anything he has done before, it will simply blow you way. Watch Segel rack up a ton of honors and nominations when the award season comes around later this year and early 2016. Eisenberg is good too, but the role is inherently less daring than Segel's (nothing Eisenberg can do about that). Check out as well the small role for Mamie Gummer as one of Wallace's friends (I just saw her a few weeks ago in Ricki and the Flash). last but not least, this is a bit of a road movie, and hence there is a lot of music in the film. Both the original score (from Danny Elfman) and the songs throughout the movie (opening with REM's New Orleans Instrumental No. 1) all the way through the end (with Tindersticks' cover of Pavement's "Here") is just outstanding.
I had been eagerly looking forward to "The End of the Tour". It finally opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and went right away to see it. The early evening screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great. I hope that audiences will grow based on what surely will be excellent word of mouth. If you are in the mood for an "action of the intellect" movie, you cannot go wrong with this, be it in theaters, on Amazon Instant Video or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. "The End of the Tour" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Couple of comments: this is the latest movie by up-and-coming director James Ponsoldt, who previously brought us the outstanding indies "Smashed" and "The Spectecular Now". This guy is going places in a hurry. The movie's script is based on Lipsky's 2010 memoir "Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself", itself published to critical acclaim. As to the movie, I was tempted to reference it as an "action of the intellect" movie in the title of this review but then I wondered if it would be too confusing or, worse, off-putting. But in the end, this movie is for all practical purposes the same as, say, Jurassic World or the latest Mission Impossible action movie, but in this case all of the action happens in the brain. Wallace and Lipsky pretty quickly get into all kinds of in-depths conversations about love, loneliness, fame, writing, basically life itself. And yes there is humor too (the bits about Alanis Morissette are hilarious, remember this is set in 1996). But on top of all that, knowing what would happen 12 years on, the movie has definitely a wistful undercurrent. Jason Segel, previously best known for "Jeff, Who Lives At Home", "The Muppets", and "The Five Year Engagement", brings a performance that is so far beyond anything he has done before, it will simply blow you way. Watch Segel rack up a ton of honors and nominations when the award season comes around later this year and early 2016. Eisenberg is good too, but the role is inherently less daring than Segel's (nothing Eisenberg can do about that). Check out as well the small role for Mamie Gummer as one of Wallace's friends (I just saw her a few weeks ago in Ricki and the Flash). last but not least, this is a bit of a road movie, and hence there is a lot of music in the film. Both the original score (from Danny Elfman) and the songs throughout the movie (opening with REM's New Orleans Instrumental No. 1) all the way through the end (with Tindersticks' cover of Pavement's "Here") is just outstanding.
I had been eagerly looking forward to "The End of the Tour". It finally opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and went right away to see it. The early evening screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great. I hope that audiences will grow based on what surely will be excellent word of mouth. If you are in the mood for an "action of the intellect" movie, you cannot go wrong with this, be it in theaters, on Amazon Instant Video or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. "The End of the Tour" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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