Five years have passed since Mike Mills‘ last terrific film, “20th Century Women,” had its world premiere at the 2016 New York Film Festival. Mills returns this year with his new family drama “C’mon C’mon,” and given its lead actor and very rapturous reception at the very recent Telluride Film Festival (read our review here), it’s bound to be one of the most anticipated films of the year.
In his first role since his Oscar Best Actor-winning turn as in “Joker,” Joaquin Phoenix stars as an artist who forges a close bond with his young nephew while on a cross-country trip.
Here’s a more detailed synopsis from the NYFF announcement:
After gracing audiences with Beginners and 20th Century Women (NYFF54), writer-director Mike Mills returns with another warm, insightful, and gratifyingly askew portrait of American family life. A soulful Joaquin Phoenix plays Johnny, a kindhearted radio journalist, deep into a project in which he interviews children across the U.S. about our world’s uncertain future. His sister, Viv (a marvelously intuitive Gaby Hoffmann), asks him to watch her 8-year-old son, Jesse (Woody Norman, in one of the most affecting breakout child performances in years), while she tends to the child’s father, who’s suffering from mental health issues. After agreeing, Johnny finds himself connecting with his nephew in ways he hadn’t expected, ultimately taking Jesse with him on a journey from Los Angeles to New York to New Orleans. Anchored by three remarkable actors, C’mon C’mon is a gentle yet impeccably crafted drama about coming to terms with personal trauma and historical legacies. An A24 release.
The film also stars comedian Jaboukie Young-White, Gaby Hoffmann, Scoot McNairy, and newcomer Woody Norman.
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Mills both writes and directs “C’mon C’mon,” as he did for “20th Century Women,” who earned him an Oscar nod for Best Original Screenplay, as well as his other two films, 2010’s “Beginners,” and 2005’s “Thumbsucker.” Robbie Ryan, best known for his work with Andrea Arnold, provides the film’s black-and-white cinematography.
There is no word from A24 yet on an exact theatrical release date for “C’mon C’mon,” aside from a November release. However, its slot in the Spotlight section of NYFF alongside Sean Baker‘s “Red Rocket” and Denis Villeneuve‘s “Dune” should provide plenty of additional buzz for its Oscar season opening. Check out the film’s trailer below.