BOTTOM
LINE:
A touching and heart-warming
story, inspired by a true account, of a man who hits rock bottom
but manages to pull through and become the embodiment of the American
Dream with his positivity and determination, all in service of protecting
the welfare of his son and provide as a father.
THE
GOOD: Although this
is a story about living the American Dream, it is in essence a dream
that almost any one can relate to having, if not the specifics of
what happens to the lead character of Chris Gardner (Will Smith).
He is a struggling father who is trying to keep his family together
by selling bone density scanners that hospitals do not really need.
When the money starts drying up, things become desperate for Gardner
with his wife leaving him, becoming evicted from his flat, and forcing
himself to re-evaluate his life and how to succeed. He decides to
take an internship at a brokerage firm that leads to a promise of
employment. Eventually Gardner succeeds, but not before a vast array
of challenges, pitfalls and dark moments test his resolve in coming
through the other side to live the dream of success. Will Smith
does an excellent job at portraying the positivity and resilience
of his character, particularly when placed in some harsh situations
such as taking refuge in a subway toilet overnight with his son
as they have no where to sleep. Smith’s own son Jaden plays
Gardner’s son in the film which proves to be a masterstroke
as the chemistry between them works perfectly, and Jaden Smith proves
to be a rather good actor in his own right. Thandie Newton does
well as Gardner’s wife who cannot take the pressure of such
a hard life. Director Gabriele Muccino manages to create an honest
and natural looking film that does an excellent job of pulling you
in to Gardner’s heart-felt journey. Muccino’s best moment
is the staging of the climax. Gardner is pulled in to the head office
at the brokerage firm to be told he has the job. The emotion Smith
conveys, coupled with a fantastic shot of Gardner walking out in
to the street, overwhelmed by the knowledge that he has succeeded
while the masses walk by like drones is a profound statement on
appreciating what you have and never taking for granted the basics
like having a roof over your head or worrying about where your next
meal is going to come from.
