Trailing Off: "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot" (2018)

Joaquin Phoenix
Welcome to the sporadic column Trailing Off in which I take a look at a trailer from the past week and analyze its potential. This will be done using an obnoxious amount of analyzing and personal thoughts on the cast and crew as well as expectations. I will attempt to highlight films ranging from new blockbusters to lesser known indies and give them their due. Partially to spread awareness, I do believe that there is an art to the sell and will do my best to highlight why these trailers matter or don't with approval (trove) or disapproval (trash). So please stop by, recommend some trailers, and I will see you next time.


Trailer in Discussion



Directed By: Gus Van Sant
Written By: Gus Van Sant (Screenplay), John Callahan & Gus Van Sant & Jack Gibson & William Andrew Eatman (Story), John Callahan (Book)
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara


- Preamble -

It's a bit tough to judge Gus Van Sant's recent output with any sort of enthusiasm. With exception to his solid work on the miniseries When I Rise, he has largely been making work that's not particularly exciting. The Sea of Trees has gotten a bad reputation and is probably evidence of waning quality. For a director so rooted in the indie scene, known for making such great films as Good Will Hunting and Milk, he has kind of hit a bit of a stagnation period. It's probably why it's somewhat exciting to see him work with a cast that is full of some lively faces, of whom should hopefully elevate his new work with a bit more of a charm. After all, that's part of what makes his work appealing. It's about the performances, and the cast is full of names who are bound to deliver on that.
Leading the group is Joaquin Phoenix, who has been having an incredible decade following The Master in 2012, starring in several strangely alluring films - including Her with co-star Rooney Mara. He is in an interesting period of his career, especially given that he has a film that played at Cannes opening this year as well. If this film is good, it will hopefully mark a significant return for the actor, of whom never really went anywhere but is always due for a comeback. If anything, his reteaming with Van Sant should bring out the best in both of them, and hopefully remind audiences as to what charisma each of them have.
I'll admit that part of this film's allure is that the title is pretty memorable, if a bit difficult to really say with a straight face. It's a punchline that feels rooted in the pun of the lead character's handicap. Even then, Van Sant is sure to find some sort of humanity buried underneath this character's fragile state. Hopefully it will go well, especially in the hands of Amazon Studios, who have been able to stay on top of awards season to some capacity in recent years. It's coming out a little early to be an Oscar darling, but one can hope that this is another runaway hit for Van Sant and Phoenix. Only time will tell.


- Dissection -

Overall, it has the familiar vibes of an indie film. It's marked as a teaser, but it definitely feels like it has more information than the average "teaser" in 2018. There is a strong understanding of what Joaquin Phoenix will be doing in the film, predominantly playing a paraplegic. What's odd is that there's an underlying sense of a quirky comedy to this somewhat tragic story, suggesting that the condition isn't necessarily that debilitating. There's also an interesting friendship with Jonah Hill, who seems to be harrier than normal. It's probably part of the eccentric nature of these characters, who look to be in the same odd predicament. It's not the most interesting premise, but it looks like the type of cute character comedy that could be good for a few laughs.
The odd thing about it is that there isn't much that's necessarily spectacular about the trailer. It does look interesting, but it's mostly because the cast has produced a reliable amount of work. There's a few good jokes scattered throughout, but it's a bit understated. The humor drives the characters, but it seems to suggest that there's more going on than what's seen. This is the type of a film that could be sold with no more than the release of actor names. It does a fine job of getting the word out, but it doesn't necessarily change how much I want to see the film. I probably am more excited for it, but it's more because I am aware that the film exists. That's probably this trailer's biggest success.


- One Sentence Sell -

Joaquin Phoenix reteams with Gus Van Sant for an ensemble comedy that looks to be a familiar sort of quirky and fun.


- Trove or Trash -
TRASH

The trailer is itself fine, but I don't know that it does anything to get me more excited to see the film, which I would've seen based off of the pretty solid cast alone.

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