Sydney Film Festival Review - Ezra

 

“All I ever wanted was just to protect our boy.”

Dysfunctional, messy, but well-intentioned, Ezra may be prickly and coarse to begin with, but it’s heart is in the right place, and after a bumpy start, it mostly sticks the landing aided by strong performances from Bobby Cannavale, Robert De Niro, Rose Byrne and a scene-stealing young William A. Fitzgerald.

Discussion Points:

Ezra starts off loud, abrasive and prickly, and much of the films plot could easily be resolved if people just settled down, listened and had a mature conversation. Instead emotional decisions, made in the heat of the moment, lead to a fugitive road trip that’s heart is in the right place, even if the actions taken may be questionable. William A. Fitzgerald is a champion, showing that autism isn’t a stumbling block to being charismatic and engaging. The loud brashness of Cannavale and De Niro may be off putting, but the quiet heart-to-heart that eventually happens is incredible cathartic. And Rose Byrne’s flustered overprotective mother may wear thin at moments, but again is well-intentioned. Unfortunately, despite the strong performances, the plot threads that interweave feel messy, and plenty of threads are left hanging, which left me feeling somewhat dissatisfied.