A small, humble and modest film. A small, humble and modest film to which Lila Neugebauer as director and Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry as performers give real value. I don’t know if this is the case, but ‘Causeway’ is the kind of movie that could perfectly be written by an American soldier who returns to civilian life after returning from an armed conflict with brain damage. With closeness and simplicity, as a footnote included in any posturing war story that serves to remind us of something fundamental that we do not always keep in mind: We are all people. ‘Causeway’ thrives on not acting like it’s a movie, at least not like one of those good-natured commercial dramedies we associate so much with Fox Searchlight. The person behind a character, the story behind a script. Outside of the spotlight, the big headlines, or the shocking stories, Lawrence is just a wounded person who doesn’t know what to do with her life. And since it’s about moving forward, she, well, pushes forward, like everyone else, as she can. Work, home, health, family, friends… the usual and not so everyday, as she well knows any adult old enough to be considered as such. Life is not necessarily hard, but it is not necessarily easy either. It cannot be said that ‘Causeway’ is surprising, but neither is it what she intends. With delicacy and good lyrics, it develops its premise in less than 90 minutes, which, underpinned by two good performers, give off everyday verisimilitude from start to finish. So simple, practical and efficient. The noble art of telling a story in such a fluid, organic and compelling way that it seems like a noble and selfless gesture. Life is not easy, that the cinema does not seem so either.
‘Causeway’ – Looking for a Helping Hand
