Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018)

(...) Joaquin Phoenix (San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1974) decided to sit on his side and not look at the press. Yesterday morning, sitting down to chat with four European journalists for half an hour, the first thing he does is apologize. "It overwhelms me, I work better at short distances",

Gus Van Sant returns to the Berlinale with his best film this decade, an open-hearted exploration of recovery that features a great central performance from Joaquin Phoenix. A biopic detailing the cartoonist John Callahan’s recovery (...)


At its heart Don’t Worry is a feel good movie, designed to pull on the heartstrings and show people that even when things are at their lowest ebb, they can get better. Its sentimental nature is common from Gus Van Sant, who is unafraid to open his character’s hearts to the audience. The miracle is that it doesn’t become too soppy, largely thanks to the acting chops of the cast. Callahan’s journey is also Phoenix’s journey, the brilliant actor submerging himself into the role. Simply one of the best actors working today,



Van Sant casts repeatedly against type here; Rooney Mara as a kind Swedish helper, Jonah Hill as Callahan’s wise and helpful AA mentor, and Jack Black giving one of the best scenes of his career once we revisit his character a second time. Seeing comic actors such as Hill and Black play for drama works very well, because their body language and delivery is completely on point, helping to undercut the seriousness of the movie and give it that perfect sweet-spot between comedy and sincerity.