The End of the Tour (2015), R, ★★★★

It's more of a journey than you think. 

In today's age, technology has overshadowed the human condition and communication between two or more people. People do not want to simply talk face-to-face anymore regarding any topics, issues or any other popular news. I am not a journalist but every interview I and many people watch talking to a very important celebrity or inspirational person would allow their running time in 5 minutes or an hour. Rarely, very rarely, a journalist and a subject would have 5 days in this day of age. This movie is the unconventional study of the human condition with some hidden agenda between them and it is simply human speech, very interesting human speech. In a year of impressive blockbuster films, this is a quiet movie that is simply astute and brilliant to witness and observe the hidden interview and friendship between journalist and subject.

In 1996, David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) is doing a public reading of his novel, which became a moderate success. He goes to bar to meet with some friends and one brings up David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel), an amazing author according to her. Lipsky is mesmerized by his writing after he buys it before reading a glowing review to his girlfriend, Sarah (Anna Chlumsky). At the offices of Rolling Stone, Lipsky persuades his boss, Bob Levin (Ron Livingston), that he should interview Wallace because he thinks that there is an intriguing story behind the writer. Levin replies positively and says that there better be a story.

Lipsky gets on a plane to Illinois and initially, he is lost, but after calling Wallace on the payphone to tell him the directions to his house. Wallace also says that "he'd do him a favor by losing the number". Lipsky finally arrives at David's house while David is waiting for him and awkwardly say hello and move on with the questions and compliments. The reason he was blunt to Lipsky initially, though, is because he had to unlist his number after a myriad of fan calls and had to reach his parents to get the phone number.

Lipsky comments later that people are reading and enjoying David's book because many people are knowing his personality. David says that he does not want to become "a whore" because he is using himself in his tour to promote his newfound fame for cashing in on his art. They talk many interesting topics and meaningless topics regarding drugs, his fame, movies, etc. But, it evolves into an unbalanced friendship that, at times, takes its toll of pushing the envelope of each of their hidden agendas. It sounds conventional, but, based on the mature dialogue, they sound like likable people we recognize at any time.

Lipsky meets David Foster Wallace.

This story is mostly centered at the two people simply talking about many subjects and many stories regarding each of their backgrounds and also their present lives. This examination of the human condition between these two characters is unforgettable because based on the journalist-subject relationship, you have to question if the truth between them is false because Wallace is such a private bystander. But because of these honest conversations, you never know what they will be talking about next and you want to say there with them. They offer such snappy and humorous dialogue regarding their stories and opinions about certain miscellaneous topics.

Jason Segel is recognizable in raunchy comedies such as Forgettable Sarah Marshall, I Love You, Man, Sex Tape (awful), and a memorable return to the screen, The Muppets, in which he wrote. He is a tremendous talent in the industry but he is impressive as the thought-provoking, disturbed, sweet and funny man who goes from a rowdy guy that has a few outbursts to Lipsky to a man that you want to hang out with, no matter how private he is. It is probably Segel's best performance. Jesse Eisenberg finds the perfect note to play the journalist as he does not push the stereotypical dialogue but becomes restrained and self-absorbing with his usual rapid and nerve-racking personality. It is basically their show.

David Foster Wallace was a socially-awkward and reclusive soul who battled with depression and addiction to television and junk food that he took his own life at the age of 46 in 2008. It is too bad that we lost this talented writer too soon because many people would have discovered his knack of great writing. I read a few pages from his work and it is riveting. This is, tonally, a somber film but a naturally funny biopic of an interview that lasted 5 days but this movie will last a long time. Their is no forced foreshadowing or irony behind the characters. It is simply a journey into a little slice of heaven which is called The End of the Tour.

****