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... when he is attached to a film
you already know what type of character he'll portray. Working film
roles around his personality has been Nicholson's trademark for the
past twenty years and audiences seem to love it. It is with this in mind that makes his performance as Warren Schmidt, in the new film About Schmidt, all the more astounding. Gone is the "Jack" persona that seeps into every one of his characters. Casting his vanity aside, the sixty-seven year old actor has finally met the challenge of playing a sixty-seven year old man. About Schmidt begins minutes before Warren Schmidt begins retirement. Soon after leaving the company that he dedicated his life to, Warren begins to closely analyze his life. He feels cheated for giving up his dreams and now looks with scorn at Helen (June Squibb), his wife of 42 years. Schmidt's life seems as if it will not change when his wife suddenly dies. Without Helen to take care of him, he desperately tries to remember how to take care of himself. Feeling alone and depressed, Warren decides to drive his RV to Denver and try to convince his daughter Jeannie (Hope Davis) not to marry a lowly waterbed salesman (Dermot Mulroney). About Schmit is a film that takes risks. The movie dares to have a protagonist whom is hard to root for. Co-writer/Director Alexander Payne (Election, Citizen Ruth) specializes in dealing with characters with questionable motivations and he shows both Schmidt's good and bad sides, though there is much more of the latter. Jack Nicholson successfully strips off his natural charisma and vanishes into Schmidt's selfish, pathetic demeanor. This transformation is fascinating and Watching Schmidt wreck his life is as compelling as the scene of a car crash. The film is not widely accessible to a younger audience. Many of Warren Schmidt's problems and antics do not translate well to those whom have not had a family of their own. The movie is perhaps a little to unflinching in it's portrayal of Schmidt to be entertainment. The story is depressing and at times uncomfortable, but then again, so is life. About Schmidt is a film that I admire, but did not necessarily enjoy. |
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