Movie: The End of the Tour

The End of the Tour:  not much happens but a lot is said.  David Foster Wallace, the author of “Infinite Jest”, is nearing the end of his book tour when Rolling Stone gives the green light to David Lipsky to do a story.  For the most part, the film focuses on the interactions between Wallace and Lipsky during the final week of the 1996 tour.  It opens, however, in 2008 with Lipsky getting a call about Wallace’s suicide, then pulling out a shoebox containing tapes from the 1996 interview.  This 106 minute film revolves around the conversations that took place between Wallace and Lipsky.  The source material is Lipsky’s memoir titled “Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace.”  If you’re a Wallace fan, this is a must see movie.  The conversations occur at Wallace’s home in Illinois, while driving to the Minnesota bookstore, and during interactions while in Minnesota.  Jason Segel is very likely to receive an Oscar nomination for his performance as Wallace – it is brilliant.  Jesse Eisenberg is also excellent as Lipsky, however, this movies revolves around the complexity of who Wallace was.  For those of us who are aware of Wallace but not a particularly devoted fan, or for those who’d never heard of Wallace, it was an unfortunate decision to open the film with the telling of Wallace’s suicide.   Donald Margulies’ script is all about the dialogue, and the fact that I’m told of the suicide before having had the chance to hear Wallace speak and tell his story was distracting.  There is also the interesting decision to show, after the story telling is over, a scene of Wallace dancing at a church social with a joy you never see during the movie itself.  There is also a scene after the credits start rolling which shows that Wallace had a sense of humor.  The movie is directed by James Ponsoldt.  He allows space for the two authors, one already famous and the other, published but as yet without media attention, to interact.  The conversations in the film actually occurred and there was a seriousness to them.  This film, like My Dinner with Andre, is one you could watch over and over and, each time, learn a little more about human interaction.  P.S. - There is the memoir but no Rolling Stone article; I checked.  P.P.S. -  There are other actors, including Anna Chlumsky, who have amusing lines but this is really a two actor film.