The directorial debut of Viggo Mortensen, which he also wrote and stars in, is an empathetic but gruelling account of a father-son relationship. Nearing the end of his life, Willis (Lance Henriksen), is losing his memory and much of what redeemed him as a person.
What’s left is bilious intolerance and a foul temper, which Willis deploys with a regularity that can feel a little cyclical. This, of course, is the point – toxic encounters between increasingly senile Willis and his gay son, John (Mortensen), are doomed to repeat themselves, no less painful for the fact that they have played out many times before.
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