Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
On the rocky path to sobriety after a life-changing accident, John Callahan discovers the healing power of art, willing his injured hands into drawing hilarious, often controversial cartoons, which bring him a new lease on life.
Gus Van Sant's adaptation of John Callahan's memoir is elevated considerably by Joaquin Phoenix's deeply committed, nuanced performance as the irreverent quadriplegic cartoonist. The non-linear narrative structure gives the biopic some formal interest, and the ensemble (Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, Jack Black) is strong, but the overall arc follows familiar recovery-and-redemption beats that limit its dramatic impact. Van Sant's direction has some visual personality but doesn't reach the heights of his more formally adventurous work. The ending feels somewhat muted and anticlimactic, failing to deliver the emotional payoff the journey warrants. Callahan's story is genuinely singular, but the film only partially captures the full anarchic spirit of his cartooning.