Directed By: James Ponsoldt
Starring: Jason Segel, Jesse Eisenburg, Mickey Sumner
Review By Collin Stroup
A lot of film reviews boast that something feels “real, genuine, or raw” but it’s quite a rare thing to find a movie that imitates life so well. The End of the Tour managed to show us a very unique relationship that was accessible, relatable, and dare I say it, extremely genuine.
David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenburg) was sent to interview David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) in 1996 for Rolling Stone magazine during his book tour for the novel “Infinite Jest”. The book was wildly successful at the time while Lipsky’s book, The Art Fair, was just released to little fanfare. Framing all of this is the knowledge that Lipsky killed himself in 2008, adding a hefty weight to every conversation they have in their five days together.
As Lipsky tries to figure out who Wallace really is, we dip into a wide array of topics such as sex, depression, movies, internet, American culture, and what makes Alanis Morissette sexy. The moments come naturally and at many times feels more documentary as we watch them simply talk and let the conversation carry itself.
Lipsky and Wallace’s relationship is ever-changing, both wanting to connect, but neither willing to drop their guard for long. Lipsky is there to do his job and is also envious of Wallace’s success, hoping to be treated as some sort of equal. Wallace is a reserved individual who is attempting to maintain his humility despite his success, envious in return of Lipsky’s more extroverted nature and his place outside of the spotlight.
This isn’t a story with a thrilling climax or a heavy moral, it’s simply people being people. The End of the Tour is a character study, but also a study of character; the way we interact with each other in our culture and what it truly means to connect and carry ourselves. It has a sense of humor, drama, and above all else, humanity.
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