We had thought we were getting a comedy. The story however is compelling enough to maintain interest. Some of the sex scenes at the beginning are gratuitous and don't add to the story itself. The relationship between Jonathan and Nicholas is the central theme, and as Nicholas makes sense of his own story through his encounter with his father, and he gradually differentiates his own life. The relationship between Jonathan and Nicholas provide a good family systems theme along the lines of family systems pioneer Murray Bowen. The theme of addictions, single parenthood, and absentee fathers add to the poignancy of the story. Veteran Robert De Niro is masterful as Jonathan Flynn, and inspires the work of the younger and lesser known actors as well.

Parental abandonment is something that many people deal with. Some never reconcile it, choosing to ignore it. But the fact is that abandonment early in life can leave scars that affect you for the rest of your life. Pretending not to notice or shrugging it off can seem like it works for a while, but as one ages, the gravity of the experience begins to take form. This film will most likely bring to light some of the circumstances surrounding a viewer's own similar situation.For me, it was realizing how the lack of a father has affected how I view relationships and as a result, my own choices. Young girls learn about male energy and how it can be beneficial from their fathers. My father abandoned me very early in life, surfacing only a few times, one of which was when he was in ill health. Fortunately for me, I was not faced with the situation that Nick was - my father had the means to live on his own. I also had a stepfather who never recognized me even as a family member. When he wasn't ridiculing me he was just ignoring me. Thankfully, my mother was a very strong presence in my life. But she was gone well before her time as well. Nick's mother committed suicide -- and there are many other more subtle ways to do this. Like ignoring your own health and well being and allowing yourself to become so ill that it is too late to repair it.It seemed early on that Nick decided to be a writer because his father considered himself to be one. That, along with providing much inspiration by way of their own story - is another contribution to Nick's life that I'm sure he has acknowledged. The one thing that Nick's father did was validate his writing. For a writer, that can mean more than just about anything.

This movie ends on a very hopeful note. Jonathon (Rebert De Niro) end up living in a subsidized apartment, and Nick (Paul Dano) ends up teaching and being a published author. So, basically, things seem to have worked out as well as you could hope for these two. And when this comes to an end, you are very, very grateful for the hopefulness of the ending because - in all honesty - this is for the most part a rather dark and sometimes depressing story.It revolves around the relationship between Jonathon and Nick - an estranged father and son who haven't seen each other for 18 years. Both are struggling. Jonathon lives a fantasy about being a classic American author who's written a classic novel - notwithstanding that no one will publish it. He's an alcoholic taxi driver really; and he ends up on the streets after being kicked out of his apartment. There's some play made of him being racist and homophobic, but those characteristics really didn't take centre stage for me. He was just difficult. Nick also fancies himself as a writer, but he's dealing with a lot of demons from his past - the fact that his father was never present in his life, and the fact that his mother (played in flashbacks by Julianne Moore) committed suicide (he thinks because she read an unfinished story about herself that he wrote, before he had a chance to add at the end of it how much he loved her and what a good mother she was.) He drinks, he does drugs, but eventually he lands a job at a homeless shelter, and - much to his surprise - into the shelter one day walks Jonathon. The story goes from there.While often dark and depressing, this is an interesting enough story, made even more interesting that it's based on Nick Flynn's actual memoirs. Aside from the father-son relationship, one of the most interesting aspects of it is the depiction of life in a homeless shelter. It also features magnificent performances from Dano, and especially from De Niro, who proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's still got it. His portrayal of the troubled Jonathon was superb.This is dark and depressing at times. But if you can work your way through that, it's also a very good movie. (7/10)

In 'Being Flynn', Robert De Niro plays a taxi driver who resents the world around him. Yes, this is a clear reference to 'Taxi Driver', one of De Niro's best films. And no, 'Being Flynn' is not in the same league with this masterpiece. But yes, De Niro shows in this film that he still is a superb actor. It is somehow fashionable to denounce Robert De Niro as a has-been. True, he has played some parts that tarnished his reputation based upon his work in the seventies and eighties. But in 'Being Flynn', he does a great job playing a taxi driver who becomes a homeless bum but retains his dignity by convincing himself that he is a great writer. His homeless existence is in fact a blessing because it produces lots of 'material' for his great novel, he tells his son who works in the shelter where he spends the night. The confrontation between father and son is the central element in this movie. The son hates his father who left the family and never cared about his child. But at the same time, he realizes that he could become just as irresponsible as his father - his life is just as aimless. In the end, it all turns out well. Remember, this is a Hollywood product. That's also the reason the producers took the regrettable decision to change the title of the film. The book it is based upon is called 'Another Bullsh*t Night in Suck City', which in my opinion is a truly great title. Just say it aloud a few times. It has a nice rhythm, and of course it describes a whole mindset in just a few words. The title 'Being Flynn' is bland, dull, uninspired and meaningless. Is says a lot about the US that a relatively innocent word like bullsh*t can't be used for a mainstream film. (I have to write an asterisk instead of an i for the same reason). Still, there are not many other commercial concessions in this film. There's no sentimentality, nor any moral standpoint. It's a well-performed and efficiently directed father-son drama with De Niro's great acting as a cherry on the cake.