After mostly taking last year off, 2012 has already been extremely busy for Paul Dano, and it's not even close to being over. We've seen him play down 'n out writers in both Being Flynn and the excellent Ruby Sparks, and next month has him as a futuristic hitman in Rian Johnson's Looper. But before that, we'll have one more time to see him in action...or is it "inaction", as part of the bleak and depressing drama, For Ellen.
Directed by So Yong Kim(Treeless Mountain), For Ellen has Dano as an aspiring rock star who hits rock bottom, agreeing to divorce his wife(the sexy Margarita Levieva) so they can sell the house and make some money, only to discover that by signing he would give up any parental custody to their daughter. The story mostly centers on his dealing with the direction his life has taken, and whether or not he's up for the task of being a real father.
Treeless Mountain was excruciatingly slow, but Yong Kim did such a fantastic job of creating mood and atmosphere that the film was still a mostly enjoyable experience. For Ellen moves at a slightly faster pace, but it's no less difficult a movie to watch because it's so utterly hopeless at times. Dano is amazing, though, possibly his best performance yet. And I think many will be surprised by an unrecognizable Jon Heder(Napoleon Dynamite), playing Dano's lawyer. For Ellen opens in New York on September 5th, and then VOD on September 19th. Expect a review around that time or possibly earlier. Check out the trailer below....
