Directed By:
George Clooney
Written By:
J.R. Moehringer, William Monahan
Starring:
Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Daniel Ranieri
Genre:
Drama
Rated R for language throughout and some sexual content
‘The Tender Bar’ is about a young man Jr. (Tye Sheridan) who’s parents are divorced. His Mother (Lily Rabe) and himself are now living with at his Grandfathers house in Long Island. Jr. doesn’t have a typical father figure to look up to, he gets most of that from his bartender Uncle (Ben Affleck). Director George Clooney explores what a role model can be to someone in this book adaptation that struck me as genuine and grounded.
The performances all around are well done. Tye Sheridan does physically seems little older than the character he’s playing, but his performance paired with Ben Afflecks really do shine brightest. The supporting cast Daniel Ranieri, Lily Rabe, Christopher Lloyd, and Max Martini are also strong.
Jr. is struggling throughout the film with identity, where he gets his drive and motivation from. The lack of a relationship to his father that he doesn’t realize is given to him through his Uncle are very strong themes and I think George Clooney directed this very well. The pacing can feel off at times, but it’s overall a film I’d recommend.
