I found this movie on Netflix streaming, it has mixed reviews and wasn't sure I wanted to take the two hours to watch it. Having done so, I am glad that I did.
Richard Gere, in his mid-60s, is George. It is clear that he has no place to call home. We don't know exactly how long he has been in this situation but he mentions that something occurred 10 years ago.
He has developed a routine of sorts, he sometimes goes into the waiting room of a hospital or a bus station to escape the cold, even if it is temporarily. He changes coats often, because while few will give him money for booze it is somewhat easy to get a coat then sell it to a thrift shop for booze money.
He also occasionally visits a food kitchen or gets a bed in a shelter. But he seems always in a daze of sorts and when he does take the time to have an agency help him get aid he has no ID and can't even remember his Social Security Number.
At one point he meets up with Ben Vereen as Dixon, also homeless. We see them together most of the time, while George hardly ever says anything Dixon just can't shut up. Perhaps Dixon is a construct of George's imagination, we are not sure.
George has an estranged daughter, 30-ish Jena Malone as Maggie. We are not told what exactly is the issue but George knows he has not been a good father.
There is a ray of hope at the end, that George may be getting the help he needs to get back on his feet, and reestablish some sort of relationship with Maggie. Dixon disappears, which may be a sign of George's move towards sanity.
The movie does not movie very fast and many will likely find it "slow and boring" but I never did. I am not far from George's age, I have encountered man like him in large cities over the years, it has always been puzzling how people end up that way.
Of interest Gere does his own piano playing and wrote one of the pieces for the movie. Also Malone sings the final, haunting song during the end credits.
Richard Gere, in his mid-60s, is George. It is clear that he has no place to call home. We don't know exactly how long he has been in this situation but he mentions that something occurred 10 years ago.
He has developed a routine of sorts, he sometimes goes into the waiting room of a hospital or a bus station to escape the cold, even if it is temporarily. He changes coats often, because while few will give him money for booze it is somewhat easy to get a coat then sell it to a thrift shop for booze money.
He also occasionally visits a food kitchen or gets a bed in a shelter. But he seems always in a daze of sorts and when he does take the time to have an agency help him get aid he has no ID and can't even remember his Social Security Number.
At one point he meets up with Ben Vereen as Dixon, also homeless. We see them together most of the time, while George hardly ever says anything Dixon just can't shut up. Perhaps Dixon is a construct of George's imagination, we are not sure.
George has an estranged daughter, 30-ish Jena Malone as Maggie. We are not told what exactly is the issue but George knows he has not been a good father.
There is a ray of hope at the end, that George may be getting the help he needs to get back on his feet, and reestablish some sort of relationship with Maggie. Dixon disappears, which may be a sign of George's move towards sanity.
The movie does not movie very fast and many will likely find it "slow and boring" but I never did. I am not far from George's age, I have encountered man like him in large cities over the years, it has always been puzzling how people end up that way.
Of interest Gere does his own piano playing and wrote one of the pieces for the movie. Also Malone sings the final, haunting song during the end credits.