©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p12

04/07/2015 16:16 par tellurikwaves

  • ©-DR-NEBRASKA  d'Alexander Payne (2013)  p12

    ©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p12

    04/07/2015 16:16 par tellurikwaves

 

Index 257 reviews in total 

 

Beautiful, hilarious, poignant film

10/10
Author: blanche-2 from United States
18 November 2013

Alexander Payne is one director who marches to the beat of his own drummer - films in Nebraska, uses black and white, and casts some parts locally to get the correct flavor. He doesn't miss a note.

Nebraska is the story of a family of usual dysfunctionals living where else but Nebraska - a quiet, distant father with a little dementia, Woody (Bruce Dern), his two sons, David and Ross (Will Forte and Bob Odenkirk), and their perpetually complaining mother Kate (June Squibb). David sells home electronics and just broke up with his girlfriend; Ross works for a news station and recently replaced the "talent" up front.

The current major problem is that Woody has received something akin to a Publisher's Clearing House certificate telling him he's won a million dollars. All he has to do is buy these magazines and check if the numbers are his. All Woody sees is that he won a million dollars. No one will take him to Lincoln to claim his prize so he starts walking - more than once - until David says he will take him.

On the way, they stop by his parents' home town and drop in on Woody's brother and his family - a scary bunch. Kate takes a bus in and shows David around the cemetery in a scene you'll never forget, trust me. Woody runs into his old partner, Ed (Stacy Keach), and as word spreads that Woody is going to be a millionaire, everybody wants a piece of him, including Ed, who says Woody owes him quite a bit.

This is really a character-driven film, with some of the most vibrant, fleshed-out characters ever on screen and some of the starkest landscapes, filmed in black and white, and giving the viewer the feeling of what it's like to live among miles and miles of farmland interspersed with small towns.

Bruce Dern gives an Oscar-worthy performance as a lifelong alcoholic who has escaped inside himself, a man out of touch and seemingly untouched by any events around him. As the outspoken Kate, June Squibb is absolutely hilarious - always yelling at Woody, threatening to put him in a home, complaining about him, but just don't let anybody take advantage of him, or you'll have to deal with her.

The sons mirror their parents, with David quiet and thoughtful but trying to bond with his father, and Ross, more confident and less sympathetic.

In learning about his father's background, in talking with his old girlfriend (Angela McEwan) David begins to see the man that his father once was and what shaped him. And he finds out that love is sometimes an unspoken thing, but it's there all the same.A wonderful film, powerful in its simplicity. Don't miss it.

*

Very difficult and worthwhile
8/10
Author: Frances Farmer from United States
24 December 2013

"Nebraska" offers viewers an unstinting view of some very unpleasant things: extreme decrepitude, boundless stupidity, greed and ignorance. There is also very deep, and very painful, love on display in this portrait of an embittered working class eking out a meaningless existence in a dysfunctional and remote place. "Nebraska" oscillates between cynicism and schmaltz, pulling off a wondrous kind of emotional alchemy that few films aspire to, let alone attain.

All of the acting is first rate, though the characterizations are rather broadly drawn. Will Forte plays a dutiful, sensitive, repressed son with seemingly unlimited patience for the eccentricities of those around him. He's the perfect foil for Bruce Dern's semi-catatonic, alcoholic ramblings (both verbal and spatial). June Squibb serves up hilarious venom to spice up the mix.

There were scenes in the movie that so perfectly captured the narrow, soulless, deadening ethos so prevalent in small-town America that I could hardly stand to watch them. It was almost as if the tire stores, bars, gas stations and motels of every desolate corner of America were rolled up into one set of visuals here, captured in stunning black and white cinematography.I highly recommend "Nebraska."

*

Bruce Dern Oscar worthy performance
7/10
Author: lpatterson83 from United States
11 November 2013

Bruce Dern gives the performance of his life. He is wonderful. He maintains the quality of tuning in and out of reality throughout the film. Typical of someone with dementia, you are never really sure if he's there or not. There is a moment in the film when he drives and you can just see him glow and come alive.

This is not a film for everyone because it moves slow, but true movie buffs will love it.Filmed in black and white and bleak (if that were a color) it's a son that takes his father on a road trip It's quietly poignant, with a lot of very funny moments in it. When the mother is in the scene, she steals every one.The cousins are a riot and the family members are a cast of characters. This is the sort of film that you leave but doesn't leave you.

*

Slow and low-key but describes its characters with wit
8/10
Author: (svaittin@yahoo.com) from Finland
22 September 2013

I saw the movie at the Helsinki International Film Festival. It tells a story about an old man who is certain that he has won a million dollars and wants to get to Nebraska to collect it. His family is sure that it is a hoax but his son chooses to drive him there so that the thing wouldn't bother his dad anymore.

Everything about the movie is very low key and the pacing is quite slow. This comes from the choice of shooting it in black and white, style of acting, and the locations and events depicted in the film. For long periods, I found it a little hard to get immersed into the events on the screen and empathize with the characters. I kept thinking that the movie repeats what I did not like about Alexander Payne's earlier work About Schmidt. But then somehow the movie started to grow on me.

I still feel there is almost weird resemblance to the road trip and family reunion Jack Nicholson's character goes through in About Schmidt but Nebraska has merits of its own. For one, the characters are quite well written. Even the supporting roles provide witty observations of different ways we might react to other person's fortune. Also, the acting is very good throughout the film. The main characters' lives have become unsatisfying and they are trying to deal with it in different ways.

Even though it is a little frustrating to watch people who struggle to find anything meaningful to do or say, the script and the actors are able to draw a very accurate picture of everyday life as it sometimes can be. Here and there, they are able to provide a few laughs and even some satisfaction when the characters are developing, albeit slowly.Overall, I'd end up recommending the film if you have enjoyed Alexander Payne's previous work.

*

Keep on the sunny side of the desolate landscape
10/10
Author: Steve Pulaski from United States
1 December 2013

Director Alexander Payne is currently one of the best dramatists in cinema right now simply because he makes films about realistic people in realistic situations. Payne seems to see no value in fantasy elements, far-fetched circumstances, or overly-comedic nonsense. His accomplished filmography includes the uproariously funny and poignant Sideways, The Descendants, which I went on to name my favorite film of 2012, the bold satire Election, the humble and depressing About Schmidt, and the daring abortion comedy-drama Citizen Ruth.

Now with Nebraska he adds another incredible film to his filmography. Heavy on the drama, smart with its character depictions, but never schmaltzy nor self-satisfying, Nebraska paints a bleak and depressing portrait of Midwestern life centering on a broken family with little to live for. One day, however, Woody Grant (Bruce Dern in a career-making performance) finds something to live for. Senile, an alcoholic in denial, and not one for long conversations, Woody receives a letter in the mail telling him he won a $1,000,000 prize and should come to Lincoln, Nebraska to collect it. His son, the quietly-sad David (Will Forte), informs him that the letter is a shameless piece of scam mail that requires the subscription to multiple magazines to even qualify for a raffle to potentially win the jackpot.

Woody doesn't care. He believes that people or an organization wouldn't say something that wasn't one-hundred percent true. Residing in Billings, Montana, Woody abandons his long-suffering, brutally honest wife (June Squibb) numerous times by aimlessly walking (sometimes trudging) down interstate highways and side-streets to venture out to Lincoln to collect his supposed earnings. At first, David can't fathom his father's logic. He has informed him several times this is a hopeless scam, that he is in no condition to travel long distances (he can't drive), and he doesn't even need $1 million to begin with. Woody, stubborn as a mule (or is he?), offers very little reasoning for his actions. He simply does what he wants. But when people in Woody's hometown get wind of this, along with distant family members that maybe should've remained distant, Woody now owes everyone money and a favor.

Director Alexander Payne and writer Bob Nelson work wonderfully with Nebraska, especially Nelson, who is sure to paint the characters as realistic as they are relatable to the audiences. Consider Woody's rather large family, made up of codgers who speak in disjointed sentences and delightfully funny souls who like to complain every chance they get. One of these people in particular is Woody's wife Kate, portrayed by a fearless June Squibb where almost everything she says is a laugh riot. A key scene comes when Woody, Kate, and David are visiting the gravesites of Woody's family members and for every person buried six feet under, Kate has a smarmy remark for them.

It's all the more surprising to note that Will Forte, usually known for playing characters in goofball comedies, does tremendous work in a serious, darkly funny, but also depressing drama film. Forte embodies an everyman quality that will make him familiar to some, and the way he tries to live in the boundaries of reality while giving his father something to live for is easily relatable to someone who wants the best for their own parents. However, the performance of the two hours is easily given by Bruce Dern, who has the rare ability to play detached and clueless with a true sense of believability. I can only think of Paul Dano's requirements for his character in Prisoners, released about two months back, where Dano had to always bear a facial expression that rendered him dazed and almost entirely out of touch with reality. Dern uses the effect to true emotional heights in Nebraska, with the uncanny ability to sit with a blank stare on his face and look as if he's about to burst into tears.

That precise quality of Nebraska is why I was so drawn in (along with the excellent black and white photography); its lack of milking its story for emotions. It has the very ingredients to make a person cry from the senile father who never really was one to his children, the broken family, and the unremarkable rural life that seemingly offers no hope outside of a desolate landscape. However, just like Woody, the film looks on the brighter side of life, optimistic about the peculiar instances and finding solace in a practical adventure. It doesn't have time to waste on sappy musical cues and actors phoning in emotion; it's much too concerned for articulating the characters and the adventure at hand.

It's also wonderful to see Will Forte in a pleasantly different role, alongside his frequent collaborator and friend Bob Odenkirk as siblings in Nebraska. The last time Forte and Odenkirk teamed up, if I recall correctly, The Brothers Solomon happened and such a film doesn't even deserve a mention in this review.Starring: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, Bob Odenkirk, and Stacy Keach. Directed by: Alexander Payne.

*

Hilarious movie where SNL comedian Will Forte plays the straight man
10/10
Author: steven-leibson from United States
6 November 2013

"Nebraska" stars Bruce Dern playing Woody Grant, a 77-year-old man living in Billings, Montana who believes he's won a million dollars from a publisher's sweepstakes just because he received a craftily worded sales letter from the company. When the movie opens, we see Dern on foot, hoofing his way on the outskirts of Billings and on his way to Lincoln, Nebraska to claim his prize. It quickly becomes clear that the years have not been kind to Dern's character Woody. Alcohol, age, the bleak northern US Midwest, and the long line of life's events have left Woody a bit addled, which is why a sales letter can make him believe he's a millionaire. Turns out, he was always like that.

Woody's son David, played by Saturday Night Live alum Will Forte, also lives in Billings. He sells home theaters and other consumer electronics in the local appliance store, drives a dented Suburu wagon, and has the usual dysfunctional relationship with his increasingly disconnected father. After Woody makes several attempts on his own to escape Billings and make it to Lincoln, David agrees to take Woody to Lincoln in his Suburu. Events along the way take both Woody and David to Woody's tiny fictional hometown in northeast Nebraska where Woody's past awaits.

And there you have the setup for another of director Alexander Payne's wonderful road-trip comedies, cast from precisely the same mold as "About Schmidt" and "Sideways." This movie takes us through Woody's long past so that the present can seen with sharper focus. If you like those movies, you will love "Nebraska" too.

There's one more thing you will also love and that is June Squibb's portrayal of Woody's wife Kate. Squibb plays Kate as a force of nature with a mouth that's funny, insightful, profane, and tender all at the same time. Dern's already won one film award for his Woody and many of us believe Squibb will do the same with her Kate Grant. Squibb also played the wife who suddenly dropped dead in "About Schmidt." We didn't get to see much of her in that movie but she gets plenty of opportunity to steal a bunch of scenes in "Nebraska." This is a very funny movie with some poignant statements to make about aging, familial relationships, and the past's influence on the present. In that way, "Nebraska" is just like director Payne's other road-trip movies. But "Nebraska" is its own story with an entirely different take on these topics.

For some of us, it's a lot of fun to see great movies before they open. We got the opportunity to see "Nebraska" a few days before it opened in a national expansion of the New York Film Critics Series, which started in 1995. Last-minute tickets for this event were provided by Paramount through the tireless efforts of Tim Sika, founder and head of the San Jose Camera Cinema Club. Thanks Tim.

*

A great film
10/10
Author: buzzbruin-650-409183 from United States
23 November 2013

My favorite comedy is sideways (among others) and I love Mr Paynes films (like Election. As an advanced senior I was totally with Bruce Dern, the crankiness, the lack of balance, the drinking the boredom. the many naps. WIll Forte is absolutely superb as a kind loving son, in every way. His patience his help on the many scrapes his dad gets into and his true love. He is a cinch for an Oscar nomination. So are Dern and the actor who plays his wife. Although the film is outright funny, the sensitivity which Payne shows in handling the actors and the bleakness of Nebraska. The people of the small towns are portrayed is as close to real people as you can get. The black and white added to the story, especially the portrayal of the cities and small farms. I think this film will be loved by seniors. Younger people, after they have see Hunger Games could learn a lot from the lives of their grand-parents. A magnificent film, go see it!!

*

Payne's best film ever...June Squibb steals the show!
9/10
Author: Clayton Davis (Claytondavis@awardscircuit.com) from New Jersey
8 October 2013

NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL: There is a magical and profound power that is exuded from Alexander Payne's film "Nebraska." I loved just about every second of it. Written by Bob Nelson, the black-and-white dramedy takes us through the beautiful and rural Midwest showcasing opulent and lavish cinematography by Phedon Papamichael. And let's not forget the trio of stunning performances from Oscar-nominee Bruce Dern, Will Forte, and June Squibb. The film tells the story of an aging and ailing Woody (Dern) and his son David (Forte) as they venture off from Montana to Nebraska to collect a million dollar prize that Woody believes he has won.

I've long thought that Alexander Payne was one of the more overrated writer/directors working today. Winning two Oscars for screenplay, only one of them was warranted. I merely enjoyed his film "Election" over ten years ago, couldn't find the emotional connection in "About Schmidt" and found myself perplexed by the love that poured in for "The Descendants." His Oscar-winning film "Sideways" was the only film that lived up to the promise and still retains its magic on repeated viewings. The Paramount Vantage film presents an impeccable example of Payne's directorial skills and style when they're utilized with the right material. "Nebraska" is Alexander Payne's best film, bar none. He creates an intimate setting, even when driving cross-country or walking around an abandoned home, Payne keeps the story close and the responses authentic.

Bruce Dern is perfectly used and exquisitely raw presenting the actor's best outing of his career. As the co-anchor of the story, Dern is finally given a chance to show what Hollywood has been missing out on for over fifty years. Touchingly reserved through most of the narrative, Dern allows Woody to open up to the audience for the briefest of moments that works beautifully. It's an Oscar-worthy performance.

Will Forte surprisingly underplays and buries his normal comedic ticks and beats that made him so successful on "Saturday Night Live." His David searches and finds many of the mysteries that embody the enigma of his alcoholic father, giving Forte an ability to connect fully with the audience. He is equally as affecting as Bruce Dern and this will hopefully lead him into more complex and audacious roles like this in the future.

The wonderful and delightful June Squibb steals the show. Getting the film's biggest laughs and in many ways, offering herself up as the emotional pillar in many aspects of the narrative, Squibb is someone that could walk her way to an Oscar. Nelson's writing, especially in the creation of Kate, Woody's wife, is freshly executed. Say hello to one of your Supporting Actress nominees.

Other supporting players giving their all is Stacy Keach playing a sleazy old friend of Woody's and Bob Odenkirk as David's brother Ross, who bounces well off comedian Forte in some of the film's best scenes.One aspect that I fell in love with was the score of Mark Orton is musical accompaniment lands precisely with every bar and in every scene. Editor Kevin Tent, who has worked on all of Payne's previous films, finally has found his groove and maintains a steady pace to tell our story. I have to admit that when I first heard that the film was going to be shot in black and white, I'm immediately thought it was going to used as a gimmick.

Nearly five minutes into the movie, you can see exactly why he chose to use it. Papamichael captures the natural elements of light in several scenes, some involving a simple living room, others when we're in the car with the family. "Nebraska" is one of the year's best pictures. Something that will surely appeal to a certain demographic of the Academy. It runs as a light and comedic companion piece to Michael Haneke's "Amour." It's a film that will surely be in contention for several Academy Awards including Best Picture.

*

A heartfelt slice of Americana
8/10
Author: Robyn Nesbitt (nesfilmreviews) from United States
15 November 2013

Director Alexander Payne "Sideways" (2004) and "About Schmidt" (2002) deftly handles the road-movie plot structure once again with dark humor and satirical depictions of contemporary American society, yielding fantastic results yet again, as a heartfelt journey to examine his frail and flawed characters. Payne himself is a Nebraska native who felt strongly that the movie be filmed black and white to capture the mood of the old American heartland, and in order for the film to receive funding from Paramount, he had to settle for a smaller budget. As a result, Payne films and casts the movie in local communities with actual residents which provides a realistic texture to the family bonding tale. "Nebraska" is a humorous and heart-rendering story of family, but it also sheds a light onto the people of America's heartland, and our countries economic, moral, and cultural decline.

"Nebraska" starts as a road movie, with a father and son traveling from Billings, Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska. David (Will Forte) has decided to indulge his father Woody (Bruce Dern), who is struggling with dementia and thinks that he can pick up his $1 million in winnings from a magazine distributor in Lincoln. En route, they stop for the weekend in Hawthorne, Dern's hometown, where they're joined by his wife (June Squibb), and his other son (Bob Odenkirk) amidst your stereotypical Midwestern relatives and friends, all of whom are extremely interested to learn that there's now a millionaire before them.

The central relationship between Dern's stubbornly gullible dad and Forte's passively irritated son gradually deepens as the movie makes its way through middle America. What makes the film such a delight to watch are the individuality of its characters. Each one is fun to watch in their own right; the father's relentless determination, the mother's humorous outbursts, and the son's sympathy and desire to bond with his father. "Nebraska" reaches an emotional conclusion that echoes of "About Schmidt" and "The Descendants" (2011) with an underlying sense of lives largely squandered, but handled with grace and finesse that feels innately genuine. "Nebraska" is another finely tuned, superior slice of cinema crafted by Alexander Payne who achieves a more mature, sentimental tone than previous films. The all-around marvelous performances from the cast and supporting non-professional actors add an unmistakable authenticity to this slice of Americana.

*

Nebraska- The Latest Whimsical Tale from Alexander Payne is a Subtle and Poetic Reflection on the Loss of Time and the Affirmation of Hope
9/10
Author: generationfilm
13 November 2013

Time is a peculiar yet universally felt concept whose effects can be seen in its numerous consequences either through the obvious traits of aging or the far more subtle and subjectively felt intangibles such as regret. In the heart of the Midwest there are depressingly poetic examples of this thoroughly felt concept of time how the vast stretches of what appears to be infinite plains of nothing are filled with monuments of ruin either in the ghost town cities or the deserted farmland all of which are consequences of economic hardship and familial anchors.

 This is the melancholic setting of Alexander Payne's new film Nebraska, a sad yet endearing road trip film that becomes a sort of modern Don Quixote influenced story where a regret filled, dementia gaining father resembling the infamous dreamer Quixote resiliently chases the remnants of a thin dream accompanied by his affably neutered son serving as the loyal Sancho Panza. Nebraska clearly resembles previous films that have captured the distinct American spirit and eccentric characters of the parched Midwest, including Peter Bogdonovich's The Last Picture Show and David Lynch's oddly accessible The Straight Story, but remains uniquely an Alexander Payne film containing his penchant for mixing whimsically dry humor with poignant humanity.

At the center of Payne's film is an astonishingly subtle performance from experienced acting veteran Bruce Dern whose stern blankness and aging dementia makes for an intriguing parallel to the derelict environments throughout the Midwest setting which is captured brilliantly through cinematographer Phedon Papamichael's poetic black & white imagery. This whimsical yet mournful ode to Midwestern life, values, and legacy is aided through the lost art of subtle acting and the usually non-existent talent for subtle direction allowing the intended humor to land directly and the emotional heart to enter gracefully. While Nebraska might be an engaging,

humorous, and sweet amalgamation of Payne's previous works where the road trip element of Sideways meets the intimate family dynamic of The Descendants it's definitely a transition film for the quirky storyteller as it embraces a far more poetic and humanist side to the director's incredibly heartfelt style of filmmaking. It's difficult to say where exactly Nebraska will fall in Payne's established film canon but as it stands on its own it's a deeply lyrical reflection on the loss of time and a credible affirmation on the long enduring existence of hope.
More on this review: http://wp.me/py8op-Ck; Other reviews: generationfilm.net

 

©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p11

04/07/2015 16:03 par tellurikwaves

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    ©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p11

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©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p9

04/07/2015 05:30 par tellurikwaves

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    ©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p9

    04/07/2015 05:30 par tellurikwaves

Critique publiée par SanFelice le 24 mars 2014
écrite en collaboration avec Monsieur Jacques Brel

"Les vieux ne rêvent plus"
Woodrow T. Grant nous apparaît vite comme un de ces paumés, un de ces vieux délaissés mis au ban du système social américain car ni riche, ni productif. Une épave qui marche avec difficulté, n'écoute pas ce qu'on lui dit et ne semble même pas en mesure de prendre soin de lui-même. Une loque qui attend la mort à petits pas.

"Même riches, ils sont pauvres"
Mais Woodrow est persuadé d'être riche. Il a, en effet, reçu une de ces lettres publicitaires qui affirment qu'il a gagné le premier prix d'une loterie : un million de dollars, rien de moins. Et il y croit, le bougre. Alors, voici notre papy fugueur, qui tente, de mille façons différentes, de quitter son patelin de Billings, Montana pour se rendre à Lincoln (Nebraska) (1500 km environ). Alors, sans cesse, son fils David est interrompu dans tout ce qu'il entreprend (y compris son travail) pour aller chercher son père parti par monts et par vaux, et pour entendre les plaintes de sa mère, qui en a définitivement marre.

"leur monde est trop petit"
Cette quête d'un improbable gros lot, David va accepter de la faire. Il va partir avec son père vers Lincoln, mais en s'arrêtant dans la bonne ville d'Hawthorne, ville natale de papy. Woodrow va donc se retrouver dans son monde de l'enfance.Mais ce monde a complètement changé. Woodrow est un homme d'un autre âge. Le monde semble avoir trop changé pour lui, alors il se replie dans son univers mental. "Il est toujours dans son monde", telle est l'accusation sans cesse proférée envers lui, façon euphémistique de dire qu'il est un peu taré. Mais peut-on lui en vouloir de s'enfermer dans ses pensées et ses souvenirs, quand le monde actuel est aussi sombre ?

"Les vieux ne parlent plus ou alors seulement parfois du bout des yeux"
Nebraska est un grand film, à condition de bien le regarder. Alexander Payne fait un film simple, et je suis de plus en plus convaincu qu'il est plus difficile de faire simple que de chercher à un mettre plein la vue. Pas de plans-séquences vertigineux, mais des plans justement calibrés. Pas de scénario alambiqué aux innombrables et improbables twists, mais une rencontre unique avec une flopée de personnages formidables et attachants Car c'est ça, Nebraska.

 Un film de personnages, un films de dialogues, un film de silences aussi. "You Grant brothers are men of few words", dira la tante en les voyant arriver. Et il est vrai que les mots sont parfois rares, ce qui les rend encore plus précieux. Et les silences permettent au cinéaste d'implanter une ambiance mélancolique.

"Ils n'ont plus d'illusions et n'ont qu'un cœur pour deux"
Nebraska, c'est une histoire qui tient en une ligne, et un principe vieux comme le monde : un père et son fils. Un fils qui se retrouve en gardien et protecteur de son père. Là où son frère Ross voudrait, comme sa mère, enfermer le père dans un foyer, ne pas s'en occuper, cacher la misère affective et occulter sa responsabilité filiale, David assume jusqu'au bout. Jusqu'au ridicule parfois, jusqu'au danger aussi. Jusqu'à plonger dans les souvenirs de son père.Jusqu'à réaliser ses rêves aussi : la scène finale est juste sublissime, et je crois qu'il est strictement impossible d'y résister.

"Vous le verrez peut-être, vous la verrez parfois en pluie et en chagrin.Traverser le présent en s'excusant déjà de n'être pas plus loin"

Bien entendu, il est question de maladie et de mort, et de ce qu'un père voudrait laisser derrière lui en partant. Mais le personnage de Woodrow est formidablement émouvant.D'ailleurs, une des grandes réussites du film, c'est d'avoir créé toute une galerie de personnages justes et beaux. Des personnages tour à tour détestables, ridicules ou émouvants. Impossible de juger le moindre d'entre eux : selon les scènes, ils apparaissent tous sous un jour différent.

Comme le film d'ailleurs, qui enchaîne les scènes vraiment drôles (le vol du compresseur, par exemple) et d'autres plus sentimentales. Le noir et blanc doux instaure une ambiance nostalgique, "sereinement mélancolique" oserais-je dire si je n'avais pas peur des oxymores. Et tout le film réside dans ces tons pastels.Alexander Payne, qui ne m'avait que moyennement convaincu dans Sideways (où l'on voyait quand même de belles qualités, ne serait-ce que dans le choix des acteurs), réalise ici un véritable petit bijou, un de ces films irrésistibles qui ne cherche pas l’esbroufe mais la qualité des sentiments. C'est rare, c'est beau.


 

©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p8

04/07/2015 05:23 par tellurikwaves

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    ©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p8

    04/07/2015 05:23 par tellurikwaves

Critique publiée par Metalyogi le 12 avril 2014
Persuadé d'avoir gagné le gros lot à un tirage au sort par correspondance, un vieil homme avec son fils part sur la route pour rejoindre son Nebraska natal où il est sensé y recevoir son gain.Une histoire simple, un rythme où on peut se dire qu'il ne se passe pas grand chose, Nebraska est pourtant le genre de film qui nous rappelle ce qu'est le cinéma et ce en quoi c'est un véritable art. Ici même les personnages secondaires ont plus de fond que n'importe quel héros sauveur de l'humanité qu'on rencontre blockbuster après blockbuster.

La réalisation est dépouillée, les paysages grandes plaines du centre des Etats Unis aussi ; l'image en noir et blanc renforce encore cette ambiance douce-amère : ce voyage met bien en avant à la fois la sénilité du père et la joie de son fils de partager ces instants avant que ce ne soit plus possible.Et tournée de mentions spéciales pour tous les acteurs qui sont extraordinaires, incarnant à merveille cette galerie de personnages qu'ils soient adorables ou méprisables,parfois en seulement un regard et quelques mots.

©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p7

04/07/2015 05:18 par tellurikwaves

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    ©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p7

    04/07/2015 05:18 par tellurikwaves

Critique publiée par Last Crokoala le 4 mars 2014
Il est des films qui, dès la première image attirent et séduisent. Nébraska m'a fait ce coup là. Un scénario simple certes, mais servi par des personnages bien campés et une mise en scène sérieuse. Pas une minute je me suis ennuyé et par moment je me suis même demandé pourquoi. Sans doute se dégage-t-il de ce film un climat, une atmosphère auxquels je suis peut être particulièrement réceptif. Un joli 8 pour ce film bien loin des grosses machines d' Hollywood. Seul ombre au tableau l'affiche... Ce bleu est regrettable, le noir et blanc lui va si bien.

 

©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p6

03/07/2015 19:04 par tellurikwaves

  • ©-DR-NEBRASKA  d'Alexander Payne (2013)  p6

    ©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p6

    03/07/2015 19:04 par tellurikwaves

à droite Stacy "Mike Hammer" Keach

 

 

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Critique publiée par FPBdL le 28 février 2014
Quand on est vieux, y'a tout qui part en live. La santé se fragilise, on a mal aux pieds quant on marche, on perd son dentier sur la voie ferrée et on fait chier notre monde pour le retrouver. Le plus beau, c'est qu'enfin on peut se lâcher, balancer toutes les vérités interdites, des plus inintéressantes aux plus inaudibles comme ne jamais avoir aimé sa femme ni voulu de gosses.

- Nebraska - est l'histoire d'une vieille tête de mule qui a dans la caboche de traverser les états pour aller chercher son chèque d'1M$, qu'il croit avoir gagné par tirage au sort.Ce sera l'occasion pour ce vieil homme et son fils qui l'accompagne de partager un bout de chemin, discuter et se découvrir sous un nouveau jour, eux que le temps et la vie avaient séparé.

L'histoire est plaisante et pose bien la problèmatique de la communication transgénérationnelle. On arrive facilement à percevoir le but de chacun qui devient vrai, fondé et légitime au fil du métrage. D'un côté le père en quête de rêve, de l'autre son fils qui veut lui accorder le maximum de temps avant qu'il ne perde complètement la boulle.
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Fatalement, on se dit que l'on sera tous tôt ou tard dans une situation similaire, d'abord dans celle du fils ensuite dans celle du père...par la force des choses, fatalement. Pourtant, plutôt que de tomber dans "la vieillesse est un naufrage", le récit montre que la force des convictions ne fléchit pas avec les années et que la dignité qui va avec est d'autant plus belle. Le message en ce sens est résolument positif.

Les rôles principaux sont plaisants, justes et évitant les clichés. June Squibb dans le rôle de Kate, la femme du vieux bougon de Woody, est le personnage clé entre deux générations qui n'ont rien de commun, avec entre autre à son scipt des répliques pertinentes et aussi parfois bien grasses.Les personnages secondaires quant à eux apportent leurs lots de surprises à l'histoire. Le scénario est judicieux, touchant, tandis que l'image adopte le noir et blanc pour axer le film sur son idée originelle et ses dialogues.

Au final, on peut subir la vie et attendre qu'elle se passe ou aller jusqu'au bout de ses envies, ce n'est qu'une histoire de volonté et d'ambition.(mwouais...on en reparlera quand  t'auras 70 berges !)

 

©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p5

03/07/2015 06:12 par tellurikwaves

  • ©-DR-NEBRASKA  d'Alexander Payne (2013)  p5

    ©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p5

    03/07/2015 06:12 par tellurikwaves

Critique publiée par E-Stark le 26 mars 2014
"Nebraska" d'Alexander Payne est un film qui s'emploie à nous raconter l'aventure un peu farfelue d'un senior qui a décidé de ne pas renoncer.Armé d'un noir et blanc impeccable, qui vient faire échos au temps qui a passé pour ces personnages, Payne signe ici un film très sincère et touchant sur la vie après soixante ans, sur les relations lorsque l'on atteint l'âge tendre, et bien évidemment sur le bilan d'une existence.

"Nebraska" s'apparente à un road-movie tout à fait classique au premier abord, mais il s'avère finalement réalisé avec beaucoup de subtilité et d'originalité. Le film est également plein d'humour noir, les deux principaux seniors (Bruce Dern et June Squibb) vont petit à petit être amenés à faire le constat de cette vie qu'ils commencent à laisser derrière eux. Évidemment cela donne lieu à des scènes plus dramatiques, mais aussi à d'autres qui s'avèrent très drôles, la scène du cimetière notamment, ou bien encore certaines répliques du personnage de Woody
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Woody est un homme qui a décidé de ne pas renoncer, il n'a peut-être plus toute sa tête par moment, mais il est bien décidé à faire ce qu'il lui plait. Bruce Dern incarne ce personnage touchant et drôle avec beaucoup d’aplomb, l'acteur fait merveille et délivre une très belle prestation. Ce personnage fait écho à cette Amérique ampoulée par une crise économique, mais qui tente malgré tout de continuer à avancer, Alexander Payne parvient à faire ce parallèle sans jamais tomber dans la grosse caricature.

Bien au contraire puisque le film penche plus vers la comédie que la satire. D'ailleurs pour ce qui est de faire rire, il faut bien entendu parler de June Squibb qui incarne Kate, la femme de Woody. Cette dernière est hilarante et très juste dans son jeu, un personnage fort et sensible auquel on s'attache instantanément. Évidemment on ne peut pas non plus oublier de souligner la bonne prestation de Will Forte, il tient ici le rôle d'un homme qui tente de renouer avec son père tant qu'il le peut encore. La relation entre les deux protagonistes est très touchante.

Outre cela, il est important de parler de l’esthétique du film, le noir et blanc a donc un vrai sens, mais il est aussi très travaillé, il n'est pas tout lisse comme on peut le voir sur certains films récents réalisés de la même façon, il y a dans ce filtre quelque chose d'assez granuleux, c'est très propre mais pas lisse. Vient s'ajouter à cela une mise en scène soignée et contemplative, Payne gère parfaitement ses cadres et son champ. La bande-originale est quant à elle très jolie, elle vient faire le parallèle avec le ressenti des personnages.

Les notes rappellent un peu une sorte de vieille comptine Américaine, évidemment très adéquate avec le Nebraska qui est le cadre du film, mais véritablement très juste aussi pour ponctuer les actions et les pensées des personnages. Il s'agit donc d'un très beau film, pas forcément émouvant mais touchant. Alexander Payne avec "Nebraska" nous invite à un voyage à travers le temps qui passe, aux côtés de personnages attachants et justes. Une belle découverte.

 

©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p4

03/07/2015 06:08 par tellurikwaves

  • ©-DR-NEBRASKA  d'Alexander Payne (2013)  p4

    ©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p4

    03/07/2015 06:08 par tellurikwaves

Critique publiée par Charles Dubois le 20 avril 2015
Sans maladresses aucune, le cinéaste se place en retrait et, de sa caméra simple, dresse avec brio le portrait touchant et subtil d'une Amérique banale et profonde par le biais de ses personnages.Que ce soit de ce soit celui de ce génialissime Bruce Dern qui mérite ici son prix d'interprétation où bien du moindre personnage de second plan, tout est d'une justesse infinie et d'une légèreté inespérée.

De ce monde mélancolique et grisâtre, Alexander Payne ne tire que le beau, le vrai.Riche en humanité son film est une splendeur à tous les niveaux.Jamais larmoyant, toujours sensible, le film se prête même à un humour décalé, souvent absurde, qui en quelques phrases tout sauf anodines, donnent à voir des êtres tout aussi simples que profonds.

Mais ce road trip familial est bien plus que cela.Jamais surprenant, il berce son spectateur dans cette ambiance crépusculaire, et traite délicatement de sujets sensibles.La vieillesse comme un retour à l'enfance.Une quête désespérée, une recherche de sens, un attachement à des détails. Juste un espoir ; s'accrocher à quelque chose, même si ce quelque chose coule avec vous.

Les vieux à l'arrière, les enfants au volant.Le père échange sa place avec le fils.L'héritage est donné.
La suite peut commencer.Tout est dit.

©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p3

02/07/2015 10:22 par tellurikwaves

  • ©-DR-NEBRASKA  d'Alexander Payne (2013)  p3

    ©-DR-NEBRASKA d'Alexander Payne (2013) p3

    02/07/2015 10:22 par tellurikwaves

SENS CRITIQUE

 

 

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Critique publiée par Afer-Astaroth le 12 avril 2014
Entre rire et émotions, on trouve son compte. Le nouveau long d'Alexander Payne est pour ma part une merveille, tant par son scénario original que pour son casting bouleversant. En ce moment, je crois que je n'arrive pas à être méchante avec un film, surtout quand on m'offre ce genre de perle avec laquelle on ressort heureux de la salle !

J'y ai trouvé de quoi réfléchir sur les liens familiaux, le besoin de croire et d'avoir un but, ainsi que le fait d'être présent pour les personnes que l'on aime. Bruce Dern, mérite amplement son prix d'interprétation masculine, son personnage, un peu perdu, bourré d'humour mais aussi touchant et perturbant est en total opposition avec l'époque où il évolue.

L'Amérique profonde du Midwest est mise à nue dans ce road-movie en noir et blanc alternant entre drame et réjouissances. Le ton est léger, la route se déroule tranquillement au fil d'une bande-originale apaisante ; un petit cocon de sentiments ordinaires mêlés d'un amour bien plus immense !