Columbus: Movie Review
"Columbus" is a beautiful film inside and out. While it's intentions are heartwarming, the final product is a flawed piece of work.The film takes place in Columbus, Indiana. Jin (John Cho) who is a cocky yet troubled individual finds himself reluctant to stay in proximity to his coma induced father. While walking around the agriculturally rich Columbus, he stumbles across Casey (Haley Lu Richardson) who is completely lost, taking care of her mother (ex drug addict). Both bond over their troubled lives, walking around and bumping into extravagant agricultural settings.
"Columbus" has a lot of elements similar to something in a Richard Linklater movie. It's philosophical conversations are fantastic to watch unravel, as themes of love,relationships and family are incorporated in a lovely way. The scenes where Casey and her friend Gabriel (Rory Culkin) have those quiet, subtle moments together are the bright spots in a film lost in its own meaning.
The biggest problem with the film is actually the characters given to us on screen. Eleanor (Parker Posey) is the worst sore spot in the movie, as her relationship with Jin, is contrived and forced, and becomes a chore to watch. Unfortunately she is a center point of the movie, not because her acting is poor but because her character is poorly realized.
But director Kogonada is a master of cinematography, with a specific eye for the small/subtle beauty in our day to day lives. Even a simple child looking at a flower creates a vibrancy that not many directors can achieve.
I enjoyed "Columbus" mostly because of its gorgeous cinematography and sometimes meaningful conversations. But the contrivances are so abundant here, it becomes a sappy mess, trusting it's characters to evolve on screen, which was an unfortunate mistake. Stay for the beauty of the world Kogonada creates for the viewer to experience.
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