29. Flag Day; movie review

 

FLAG DAY

Cert 15

109 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language, drug misuse, injury detail, sexual threat, suicide scene

Hats off to anyone who comes through a turbulent childhood to make a success of themselves as an adult.

Jennifer Vogel is now a respected writer and journalist whose book Flim-Flam man was adapted for the big screen by Sean Penn.

It chronicles her chaotic upbringing with her dad (Penn), a dreamer who is portrayed as wanting the best but being unable to put in the hard work to achieve it.

Meanwhile, her mother (Katheryn Winnick) is sent into an alcohol-fuelled tail-spin by his erratic behaviour.

Addison Tymec plays the bewildered Jennifer who, as a small child sees the best in both.

But, as she grows up she begins to resent the lack of quality parenting by a mother and father who are too self-absorbed to notice her or her brother.

By the time Jennifer reaches her rebellious late teens, the role is taken up by Dylan Penn, daughter of Sean.

The irony of her playing this part is that she will have seen more excesses than most while growing up with him and Robin Wright.

I also wonder how much of his own experiences Sean lent to his character, a man with a significant creative streak who is prone to depression and also making bad decisions fuelled by drink and drugs.

There are certain echoes of his own behaviour during his tempestuous marriage to Madonna and the later addiction which he has admitted.

Indeed, Penn concedes that there are parallels in the humour between dad and daughter and in the flaws of the father.

We will never know whether either Dylan and Sean found the movie cathartic or even whether they needed to but the chemistry is clearly real.

The only problem is that the movie repeatedly goes over the same ground.

Reasons to watch: Sean Penn giving his all

Reasons to avoid: Repeatedly goes over the same ground

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 6.5/10

Did you know? Sean Penn grew up in Los Angeles, and attended Santa Monica High School.  He began making short films with some of his childhood friends, including actors Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen, who lived near his home.

The final word. Sean Penn: "I’ve always marvelled at anyone who could direct and act in the same film, and I had never considered doing it myself. But due to a confluence of circumstances, this just happened and–as I had anticipated– bled me dry. I don’t know that I would consider doing it again.” 

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