Review of The End of the Tour (2015) by Flipje — 11 May 2022

If you are a fan of My Dinner with Andre, this might be for you. Jesse Eisenberg plays a journalist travelling to interview Jason Siegel's David Foster Wallace. When the two meet, there is an awkward but amicable chemistry.

While the author finishes up the last of his book tour, promoting his magnum opus, Infinite Jest, he and this accompanying journalist weight in on diverse subjects such as fame, relationship, solitude and other philosophies.

There are some poignant moments between the two as they veer between sincere comraderie in their interests and belligerent competition in matters of the opposite sex. I was also reminded of Michael Winterbottom's The Trip series/films.

A nice story of an unlikely friendship though, I was expecting more about Wallace's psychological difficulties. Between the time of Wallace's publication of his famed novel and his death, there is a sizeable gap and the film makes a passing glance at unveiling some aspects of the author's addictive nature.

Considering this was based on a memoir, I appreciate the screenwriters sticking to the main tenets of the story. But at the same time, I also felt in the dark when it came to Wallace's true nature. He's a great character and sometimes, being elusive can spark intrigue, here, I felt let down by not seeing enough of him or getting closer to his heart.

Overall, a worthwhile film about an interesting bromance.