The film begins but the story doesn’t for a while. Director Felix Van Groeningen perhaps wants to lay out the vibe of the film in order to get the viewers ready for the kind of experience this film will be. But however one tries, the possibility of understanding or intercepting what lies ahead is quite thin.
The only prerequisite would be patience, which is pretty much what one requires around the subject: drug abuse.
The film tells the story of a young boy Nic (Timothy Chalamet) and his gradual addiction to drug intake, pretty much all kinds. His relationship with his father David Sheff (Steve Carell) is the perspective through which the film looks at the aftermath of drug abuse and what it does to a family.
It is probably the first time I saw Steve Carell in such a serious role, considering his role of a suicidal homosexual in Little Miss Sunshine too. The film in terms of treatment gets too teal and gut wrenching and just wants you to feel the pain and/or potential pain of dealing with this problem.
The portrayal is so real, it feels humanly impossible. Every viewer will personally relate to it even if they haven’t ever been a part of any circle that is dealing with the consequences of this problem. The film doesn’t just show drug abuse as an external problem. It makes sure you place yourself into the shoes of David and try to analyze how you would deal with the problem, and no one likes to picture themselves this way, per se. Hence, the film can be too much for some.
What adds up to this melancholy is the background score. The music plays a big role in enhancing the mood of the film and not for a second feels comfortable, exactly how it should be. Interesting subplots are also in play, like Nic’s upbringing with David who is separated from his wife and Nic’s mother Vicki (Amy Ryan). The difference however is how these subplots are treated; not implied to be catalysts in the problem, but potential reasons why Nic could manage to stay clean, and yet somehow fell back into the pothole.
Timothy Shalamet as Nic is an apt choice and I’m definitely planning to explore more of his cinema.
Yes, the pace of this film is slow which sure might be symbolically reflective of the pace of life of a family stuck in this problem, but sometimes does feel lethargic, especially in the beginning.
Yes, to be honest I wasn’t ready for the weight of this film, but despite revolving around such a subject, the film doesn’t dramatize but humanizes instead.
The F Word 