Manglehorn
Director: David Gordon Green
Stars: Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Harmony Korine
Duration: 97 mins
Class: PG12
Eden Cinemas Release

Like his contemporary Robert De Niro, Al Pacino of late seems to have struggled to find a decent role that suits his not inconsiderable talents.

It is arguably 20 years since the two greats were last at the peak of their powers, when they co-starred in superb thriller Heat (has it been that long?), so it is happily that I report that Pacino excels in intimate drama Manglehorn.

In this quiet and very unassuming film, Pacino stars as the titular A.J. Manglehorn, a locksmith and former baseball coach in the twilight of his profession.

He is a curmudgeonly loner, with only his beloved cat for company. Estranged from his son Jacob, a successful financier (Chris Messina), Manglehorn lives a life of dull routine; forever mourning the lost love of his life while attempting a friendship with a former student while exploring the potential of romance with the kindly Dawn (a radiant Holly Hunter), a cashier at his local bank.

Yet, so rooted in his habits and fixated on melancholy is he, that human interaction is difficult. And, as Manglehorn arrives at a crossroads, he faces a decision that needs to be taken if the remaining years of his life are going to have any value.

It is certainly one of Pacino’s best performances in years and the actor eschews any dramatics, opting for an honest, understated performance as a man who is full of bitter resentments.

One of Pacino’s best performances in years

He is perfectly content to reminisce about the past, writing letters to the elusive Clara, while oblivious to those around him – his son who needs him, and Dawn and her attempts to pierce his emotional armour.

Playing an ‘ordinary’ character has its challenges. Yet, Pacino nails it, easily portraying Manglehorn’s traits and it makes for a fascinating character study.

Pacino embodies the man’s good side – as witnessed by his treatment of his cat and behaviour with his grand-daughter, who brings some sunshine into his life – as deeply as he does his rather unpleasant bad side.

His behaviour towards Dawn is abhorrent. It is a defence mechanism, clearly, but no less hurtful for it. It is a slow path to redemption, but then again, it is hard to change a lifetime’s habits.

Manglehorn is a film that unfolds at a leisurely pace, clearly a pace that director David Gordon Green (who wrote the script with Paul Logan) is comfortable with, as he displayed with his previous movie, the deservedly acclaimed Joe which gave Nicholas Cage the chance to redeem his career.

Its simple structure and lack of any obvious drama may try the patience of those audience members who prefer a stronger narrative but this is a film that is purely about the protagonist, his inner world, and his attempt to broaden that world – to shake off the shackles of loneliness and to let go of the past and connect with the present in preparation for an uncertain future.

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