Can a nine-year-old be left out of sight in the middle of New York? Johnny has no idea. He is a childless single who implements a fascinating radio project. He asks children and young people regarding their hopes, the future and their lives. But he hardly knows his nephew, nine-year-old Jesse, when his mother and Johnny’s sister Viv have to drive to Jesse’s father. Left to their own devices, Johnny and Jesse get to know each other.
Set in cool but not at all detached black and white, Mike Mills’ Come On, Come On is a road-trip, coming-of-age film starring the male protagonists, who grow with every moment they share. The role of Johnny follows Joaquin Phoenix following his Oscar-winning portrayal of the iconic villain Joker. The abyss between Joker and Johnny mightn’t be bigger, which once once more demonstrates the impressive breadth of Phoenix’s art of acting — and also saves the film from the kitsch that hangs over the story. Woody Norman also inspires as precocious, insanely funny, unimaginably exhausting and lovable Jesse. Mills concentrates completely on the two of them, while Gaby Hoffmann unfortunately only acts as Viv on the phone.
This film is a plea for listening to children and giving them the opportunity to invent themselves. Rarely do generations grow together as naturally as in “Come on, Come on”.
In long conversation sequences you get to know Jesse, Johnny and Viv, breaks, inconsistencies, strengths and weaknesses. The power of the film lies precisely in this: Mills tells neither his characters nor their conflicts. Nevertheless, they are getting closer to us from film minute to film minute. Johnny realizes how important Jesse is to him, and the viewer realizes how rewarding it is to give children the floor. During the post-credits, the answers of the “real” children interviewed for the film are played and open up a horizon that no adult should miss.
By Mariella Moshammer