C'mon, C'mon

            Joaquin Phoenix stars in this new Indie drama as Johnny, a radio journalist traveling the country interviewing kids about their lives and thoughts about the future. When his sister Viv, played by Gaby Hoffman asks him to watch her nine-year-old son Jesse for a few days, Johnny agrees and that sends the plot in motion. 

            Viv has to travel to Oakland to look after her estranged husband, played by Scoot McNairy, struggling with mental illness. Jesse hasn't seen his uncle in over a year but they develop a tenuous relationship and Johnny ends up taking Jesse on the road with him as he does his interviews. Johnny learns some life lessons from Jesse and through multiple phone calls with Viv, reconnects with his sister.

             Jesse is played by newcomer Woody Norman and he is a natural. He has great chemistry with Mr. Phoenix, who after the anxiety and tension of "Joker" probably needed a small film like this, playing a fairly normal guy learning to appreciate his nephew and the sweet relationship that grows between them.

            Written and directed by Mike Mills, the film is shot in black and white (a trend in films this year) and moves from Detroit to LA, and then to New York and New Orleans. The interviews with the various kids seem genuine and unscripted. It's a charming film with a different type of role for Mr. Phoenix who gets to show off his natural skills in a new way.