Written by Bryan Sipe (who also penned the recent adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ The Choice), Demolition is a rather downbeat and unpredictable drama dealing with death, grief, and the process of moving on.
Davis Mitchell (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a hot shot financier whose wife is killed in a car crash. He goes into denial and his life goes into melt down and he begins to alienate everyone around him. Including his father-in-law Phil (Chris Cooper), who also happens to be his boss.
A minor incident involving a vending machine in the hospital though is the real catalyst for his frustration. He writes complaint letters to the company, which attract the attention of Karen (Naomi Watts), the customer service representative. She finds something in his letters of complaint that intrigues her. An unlikely relationship slowly develops. But it is his relationship with her troubled delinquent son Chris (newcomer Judah Lewis), who is struggling with his own sexuality and identity, that really starts the healing process.
Davis also finds release through demolishing things. Wrecking his own beautiful, architecturally designed house with a sledgehammer proves cathartic, but it is also a metaphor for leaving his old life behind and moving on. Ironically, in one of his letters Davis writes: “For some reason, everything has become a metaphor.”
Demolition has been directed by Jean-Marc Vallee (who directed Matthew McConaughey to an Oscar in Dallas Buyers Club). The film is full of some of his trademark stylish flourishes, such as dreamlike shots and looped images, that give parts of the film a similar surreal quality to his Cafe de Flore. It has been shot by his regular cinematographer Yves Belanger and there are some crisp and striking images.
Solid performances all round, particularly from the charismatic young Lewis who brings a spark of energy to the film that contrasts with Gyllenhaal’s downbeat and quietly compelling reading of his grieving character. The always reliable Gyllenhaal anchors this quirky but ultimately flawed drama, and he delivers another of his intense, edgy performances. Cooper brings his usual stoic and world-weary persona to an underwritten role, while Watts delivers another strong performance as a woman who is also dealing with her own emotional issues.
But despite the emotional content and late bursts of sentimentality, Demolition is a film that will not have broad appeal. However, it should do well on the festival circuit and in art house cinemas.
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper
Release Date: 28 July 2016 (limited)
Rating: M – Mature themes, sexual references, drug references and coarse language
Greg King
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television
