Nebraska

Who would have guessed that a black and white movie about an old man wanting to go to Nebraska would be so warm and colourful! Director, Alexander Payne grabs the bet with both hands, and we’re very glad of it.

Woody decides to go to Nebraska after he receives a letter informing him that he is (maybe) the winner of $1 million. His younger son, David, who doesn’t have much in his own life, decides to accompany him on this crazy journey. The resultant road trip from Billings, Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska (with a big stop in Hawthorne) will become an odyssey in America’s heart.

Lost teeth, family and an air compressor chime with tenderness in this unexpected feature. The black and white cinematography is highly appropriate in this in-between atmosphere, full of souvenirs and fear of growing old; characters seem stuck in a world of omnipresent past and impossible future.

The cast work universally well together – both the main and secondary characters. Will Forte, best known for his comic talent in the SNL phenomenon, shows here that he’s a complete actor, very touching in his desperation to get closer to his father. Bruce Dern, who plays his father, does little but plenty at the same time, as only truly great actors know how. June Squibb, as the mother with a fiery temper who enjoys flashing in a graveyard, is just enjoyable from the beginning to the end.

Alexander Payne brings a droll nostalgia that keeps playing in our hearts well after we return to life in colour.

Liloïe Cazorla

Read more reviews from Cannes Film Festival here.

For further information about the festival visit the official website here.

Watch a clip from Nebraska here: