Review of A Home at the End of the World (2004) by David M — 04 Apr 2011

Yes, Colin Farrell can act. He can actually be great when he wants to be. See In Bruges, Tigerland, Cassandra's Dream, and here. Notice what none of those movies are? Action movies. For some reason he chose the big movie, big paycheck route. No acting needed. Here, he is great as he usually is when he is at his best, he plays real characters, personal emotions, and he's damned good at it.

A Home at the End of the World follows Bobby, from a smart 9 year old, looking up to his hippie brother, to a free-loving teenager, to a man whose only passion is to make other people happy. There is a host of good performances and characters along the way, and the movie resists following a conventional arch (which would be a travesty with such unconventional characters and family), and instead mirrors life. There are ups and downs, usually not extremes, and are never melodramaticized. And with issues like AIDS, sexuality, death, death, birth, it was probably a difficult urge to resist, but thankfully they all do.

Bobby is taken in by his best friend's family when his entire family ends up dying over the course of his childhood. They become more than just best friends. They have a few shy sexual experiences, but its not sex they're drawn to, they just seem to love each other. Bobby also flirts with his new mom, they smoke weed and dance together, and sometimes they almost seem like they might kiss. Flash forward, Bobby still lives with them, at 24, he's a baker, because thats what his new mom taught him to do. Jonathan has moved to New York, and is openly gay. He lives with Clare, and older woman who has rejected the suburban life she was in, and dyes her hair. However, that may be as unconventional as she is.

We follow them as they become an unconventional family, Bobby is in love with both of them. He impregnates Clare, even though she's been in love with Jonathan for years. Bobby just wants everyone to be happy. I realize this must all sound so melodramatic, it however is not. We follow them along until, alas, even unconventional families fall to the same things normal families do.

Robin Wright is great in her role, as she usually is, bringing a certain grace to Clare, where she is quirky, but maybe funny hair color and cuts, are really as different as she is. Dallas Roberts is Jonathan, and he plays him as a down to earth, and openly gay man, with a lot of cognitive dissonance (he also looks uncannily like Val Kilmer, a little skinnier). Colin Farrel plays Bobby perfectly. He is mysterious, loving, caring, hurt, fragile, and tender. He seems to never think of himself, only of trying to take care of those around him. You believe he is someone who lives in a true world of free love, and belief that the world is really a great place to be, and you should just take what life gives you in step.

Watch to see interesting characters, and a touching story about love, in all its forms.