Based on the novel ‘Foregone’ by Russell Banks
Narrative
Leonard Fife, one of the sixty thousand deserters and draft evaders who fled to Canada to avoid serving in Vietnam, shares all his secrets to demystifying his mythologized life. This is Paul Schrader’s second time directing one of Banks’ novels for the screen, following his adaptation of Affliction (1997).
Well, you’d be wrong
Referenced on the Film Junk Podcast: Episode 961: In a Violent Nature + TIFF 2024 (2024). With such a great cast of actors like Richard Gere, Uma Thurman and Michael Imperioli, you’d think they’d have the star power to create a better film than this.
Paul Schrader goes for the “experimental” in a film that feels like something a first-year film student would make
Schrader claims to have been friends with the war protester/filmmaker whose life story this film is based on, but with friends like that, who needs enemies? Richard Gere’s character becomes increasingly unlikable and gradually loses the ability to express himself in words as he rages at everyone around him, mumbling as he descends into darkness.
In other words, he becomes exactly what Paul Schrader is today
Do yourself a favor and skip this one, even on streaming; I can’t imagine it would be better if you could pause it and walk out of the room to do more important things than watch this sad excuse for a movie.
