Review: Causeway

Lynsey (Jennifer Lawrence) is an Army contractor who's sidelined from duty due to a TBI she suffers in Afghanistan. She's back in her home town of New Orleans to recover when she meets James (Brian Tyree Henry) an auto mechanic who she forms an unlikely friendship with.

I've missed THIS type of Jennifer Lawrence performance. It feels like it's been ages since I've been this moved by her. Lynsey is struggling to find her purpose. She wanted to escape the place she grew up, and now she's back. On top of that, she's heavily medicated, had to learn how to reuse her own body again and still struggles with the aftermath. She exclaims at one point in the film that she'd just like to "stop dropping shit" and you feel for her. Even if you've never suffered from a devastating injury, if you've ever felt stuck at any point in your life, you're going to relate to her.

And to James as well. I'm glad this role now allows us to put Academy Award Nominee ahead of the wonderful Brian Tyree Henry's name. James has also been through a lot, he carries a lot of pain with him, but you'd never know it on the outside. He's kind, helpful, and goes out of his way to help. He's exactly the type of friend you could ever hope to make, and I loved watching he and Lynsey together. His Oscar nomination is deserved.

Director Lila Neugebauer does well for her first feature film. She lets her actors do the heavy lifting. It's not a showy film. If I have one complaint, is that this film isn't 20 minutes longer. A lot of Lynsey and James' backstories are told, but now shown, and I felt like they could've been fleshed out a bit more. I also thought the ending felt incomplete. But it's not a bad thing to want more of a film. I don't say that often anymore.

Grade: B