LINOLEUM (2022) Directed by Colin West

Linoleum (O-Ton)...

...hatte, das muss ich zugeben, allein schon deswegen sehr gute Karten bei mir, weil darin mit Rhea Seehorn eine meiner absoluten derzeitigen Lieblingsschauspielerinnen zu sehen ist. Merke: ein Werk, welches dieser Ausnahmekünstlerin, die mich schon wiederholt mit der reinen, puren Aufrichtigkeit, mit der sie einen einzigen Satz sagt, zum Heulen brachte, eine Plattform bietet, kann schon an sich nicht so schlecht sein.

Und mei, ist dieser Film gut!

Er erzählt mit großer Empathie und trauriger Heiterkeit von den Schwierigkeiten des Heranwachsens, des mittleren Alters und des Lebenswinters und lässt dabei allen Menschen in diesen unterschiedlichen Phasen ihre ureigene Würde, lacht immer mit ihnen und nie über sie.

Er bedient sich freizügig der Nostalgie, Weirdness und Melancholie eines "Donnie Darko" und geht dann aber am Ende noch die Extrameile, das alles in einem wahren Gänsehautfinale münden zu lassen, in welchem sich alles Seltsame, Verstörende plötzlich in wunderbare Sinnhaftigkeit auflöst - das ich zwischenzeitlich ahnte, wohin der Hase laufen würde, hat meiner Gebanntheit zum Schluss null Abbruch getan, denn der Twist, so gut er auch ist, ist nicht so wichtig wie der tief berührende Weg dorthin.

Und er gibt seinem Ensemble eine Plattform zu glänzen, sei es die wie immer überragend gute Seehorn oder ihr Filmpartner Jim Gaffigan in einer Doppelrolle, die es ihm ermöglicht, kuschelig warm und eiskalt in einem einzigen Film zu sein.

Über die Story möchte ich an dieser Stelle kein Wort verlieren, denn je weniger man vor der Sichtung darüber weiß, desto besser. Ich möchte einfach nur eine große Sehempfehlung aussprechen für einen kleinen, aber sehr weisen Film, der mich tief berührt hat.

D.C.L.

REVIEW: Linoleum - Surrealist Sci-Fi Meets Heartfelt Family Drama

Colin West's Linoleum builds a unique world imbued with nostalgia and its influences are felt, but never become overpowering--creating a wholly unique experience through its perfect blend of mystery, sci-fi, and heartfelt human drama.

Linoleum tells the tale of Cameron (Jim Gaffigan), a middle-aged scientist who hosts children's science show Above and Beyond, but dreams of something bigger. As a rocket crashes in his backyard, Cameron's life comes sharply into focus. Cameron spent his life wanting to be an astronaut, and now even his TV show is being taken away from him. Even worse, his replacement is Kent Armstrong (Jim Gaffigan), a retired astronaut who bears an uncanny resemblance to Cameron.

In addition to dreaming of being an astronaut, rather than an astronomer, Cameron's wife Erin (Rhea Seehorn) wants to get a divorce--and the film explores their changing relationship especially well through segments of his show.

Exploring concepts of regret and trying to live our dreams, when they feel so far away from our current lives. Erin can't seem to remember what she once dreamed of doing, but it isn't her present job working at an air and space museum. When a chance comes to try and rediscover what she once loved about science--and in turn, what she once loved about her husband--we see Erin juggling between her heart and her head.

Rhea Seehorn's performance is nuanced and subtle, allowing small moments to speak volumes of her character's internal dilemmas and questioning of life and time.

Jim Gaffigan gives one of his best performances playing both the distant and awkward Cameron as well as his slick, somewhat menacing doppelganger Kent. As the film progresses, Gaffigan plays each part, building these two complex and extremely different characters. One moment which especially sticks out is an uncomfortable moment between Kent and his son Marc (Gabriel Rush).

Linoleum poses interesting questions about sexuality that are not often explored in film, especially related to bisexuality. The moments between Kent's son Marc and Cameron's daughter Nora (Katelyn Nacon) are some of the most memorable in the film, crafting a sweet dynamic that feels natural and introspective.

Marc and Nora are both outcasts at school, and as they bond, their conversations about sexualities and identity are surprisingly thoughtful.

The unique tone of Linoleum builds from a world which feels both absurd and surreal, while staying extremely grounded in reality. The relationships and problems facing the central characters feeling so real makes the more surreal moments pack even more of an emotional punch.

Linoleum is a beautiful and strange exploration of the mind and the human idea to always compare ourselves to everyone else, rather than enjoying the unique beauty of our lives. Linoleum is a heartfelt and uplifting film with dark undertones, expressing to everyone that our own universe--and the people who make up our world--are worth more than we could ever imagine.

The tone of Linoleum shifts--taking the audience on a mysterious journey that sometimes drifts into unsettling territories with images such as a lone woman far off in the frame, a cracked astronaut helmet, and a shadow-filled street. The cinematography of Linoleum crafts a unique world which feels both timeless and filled with nostalgia.

Linoleum's blend of surrealism with family drama and dark comedic moments brings to mind Dave Holstein's series Kidding--with its focus on an extremely realistic failing marriage amid a surreal, darkly comedic world. Like Kidding, Linoleum utilizes its surrealist visuals to build a world that feels natural and emotionally poignant, especially when exploring the changes Cameron and Erin's marriage has experienced over time.

Gaffigan and Seehorn's performances perfectly capture the chasm erupting between their memories co-hosting Above and Beyond together and their challenging present life. The difference between the Erin in these TV segments and her present life--far removed from the dreams she once held--is apparent.

Linoleum is a unique blend of science fiction and heartfelt dramady, brought to life through poignant performances, especially from Jim Gaffigan and Rhea Seehorn. The visual style crafts an unforgettable exploration of what it means to be human.

Linoleum released in select theaters February 24th by Shout!

Linoleum (2023, dir. Colin West) - review by Rookie-Critic

I love it when a movie surprises me. Some of my favorite moviegoing experiences from the last few years have been going into something relatively blind, and coming out with something I will absolutely never forget. It gave me C'mon C'mon, my top film from 2021, it gave me The Worst Person in the World, my #3 film 2021, and it has now given me Linoleum. The film follows Jim Gaffigan's Cameron Edwin, an astronomer who hosts a declining children's science show à la Bill Nye the Science Guy who, due to the said decline of his show as well as his marriage, which is on the brink of divorce, is in the middle of a well-earned mid-life crisis. Also, a car with an award-winning astronaut in it falls from the sky next to his mailbox and he is the only person who witnesses the "accident," and nobody believes it really happened. The film invokes a lot of magical realism and, from the opening scene, evokes a Gondry-esque dream-like quality not too far removed from the French director's films Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep.

The film is mean to it's protagonist, but not in a malicious way: his daughter Nora (portrayed by Katelyn Nacon in a fantastic performance) is disrespectful to him in a way that teenagers often are, but clearly has a love for him as she watches and seems to genuinely enjoy his children's show, his wife (portrayed by a fresh-off Better Call Saul Rhea Seehorn in an equally fantastic performance), who is in the process of falling out of love with him, still shows the hallmark signs of lingering care for this person she'd built a life with. Everything feels very domestic and real in it's dreaminess, but still, something about the full picture isn't quite right. That is, until the third act, when the film slams all of its individual, seemingly disjointed and mysterious pieces together to form a complete 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle of a moving and incredible story about how we live our lives and how, looking back, it is a beautiful and wondrous miracle that we all get to spend any amount of time on this small, blue rock we call planet Earth with one another. It shows us that, between despair and hope, between love and hate, that ultimately, hope prevails, love wins, and our intrinsic curiosity about the universe drives us forward towards something fantastic. What that is will be different for everyone, but there is beauty in that unknown, and we should all strive to close our eyes and let the universe form that fantastic something around us and guide us through it.

Normally, I'd take a handful of sentences here to talk about things I didn't like about the film. I could say that the film's final act takes big, artistic swings that will most likely not please all viewers. I could say that elements of the story don't mesh well with the answers to the film's mysteries. These are things that I can see people complaining about with Linoleum, but I would urge those people to watch it again, and really open your mind up to what the film is doing with that third act. Don't be the person telling Cameron to be more practical and that the answer is "not that simple," because the truth is, much like we're told in the film, it probably is. I used to not cry at films at all, and I would tell people that something would have to be truly, uniquely moving to draw tears out of me. Over the past few years I've realized that is no longer the case (maybe it never was), and I openly and proudly cry frequently during movies and shows. I genuinely believe that, had I seen this back when I didn't shed the frequent tear, that I would still have done so while watching Linoleum. It ticked all the right boxes and did all the right things to make it an instant classic in my eyes, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Score: 10/10

Only in theaters as a limited release. Check your local listing to see if it's playing in a theater near you.

Linoleum

Linoleum    [trailer]

When the host of a failing children's science show tries to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut by building a rocket ship in his garage, a series of bizarre events occur that cause him to question his own reality.

Even though there are some hard to explain things going on, the movie kind of lulls you in, it's almost a little boring.

But towards the end it becomes clear that the story is indeed not that simple. It unexpectedly gets a little surreal, and you have to pay attention in order to follow what's going on.

Overall, a charming and good-natured little film, that turns out to be more ambitious than it first seems.

Colin West HAVE YOU SEEN THE CROCODILE 1986 Vtg Colin West Vtg Crocodile book

I’m looking forward to attending LINOLEUM at the Montclair Film Festival with Jim Gaffigan and Rhea Seehorn. A family is changed when a satellite falls from orbit and crashes into their home. Cameron decides to fulfill his unrealized dream of becoming an astronaut by rebuilding it into his own rocket ship. Midlife crisis? Maybe, but some strange things start happening. It’s on Oct 22 and a Q&A with director Colin West and producer Chadd Harbold follows both screenings.

see https://montclairfilm.org

I don't know if I've said this before but I have ADHD. And im saying this bc while I can hold down a job, when it comes to personal creative work I can be quite nonchalant when it comes to long-term projects and I usually never finish them. Which is extremely frustrating that my attention can never be well enough to keep momentum with doing projects that I really love.

The Daily life of Damian is a very special project to me bc its my take on a character I've loved for a long time, but I get frustrated with myself when I struggle to get a page done or to write things out. I'm only a few pages in and it feels like my brain has quit before it got started.

But I don't want to give into my old habits. I want to see this through, even if I gotta crawl my way to the finish line, I'm gonna do this! I want this to be something I look back on and be proud of! That I say "hell yea...I did that". No matter how long it takes, this is gonna happen.

If this is the only big comic project I ever do, I wanna do the best I can with it.

New pages coming out in a month. It'll be a longer update than last time.

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LINOLEUM (2022) Directed by Colin West

Aloy cracks me up every time

Colin Jones - The Steel Works, West Hartlepool, England

Jackson: I love when my parents call because it’s either gonna destroy me emotionally or they are gonna tell me about a tv show they saw. Nothing in between

Lucy: they can talk about happy things too??

Tim: your parents call?

Tamara: you have parents?

Colin: About a week ago, I accidentally slept with Jamie Tartt.

Isaac: Really?

Colin: Yes.

Isaac: You accidentally slept with Jamie?

Colin: Yes.

Isaac: Accidentally?

Colin: Yes.

Isaac: I don't understand. Did you trip over something?

FRANKENSTEIN

Samuel West Van Helsing 2004 Harry Treadaway Penny Dreadful 2014-2016 Colin Clive Frankenstein 1931 James McAvoy Victor Frankenstein 2015 Charlie Tahan (voice) Frankenweenie 2012 Kenneth Branagh Frankenstein 1994 Gene Wilder Young Frankenstein 1974 Peter Cushing The Curse of Frankenstein 1957