Fascinating and anchored by two strong lead performances, THE END OF THE TOUR is a quiet, thoughtful film based on a true story.
In 1997, Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) begged his editor for an assignment to interview emerging cult author David Foster Wallace.
Enigmatic, semi-reclusive and socially awkward, Wallace is at first reluctant, than increasingly curious of why anyone would want to interview him, insisting there isn't much of a story to tell.
As the men spend plenty of time in cars and planes heading from one book reading and publicity appearance to another, Wallace opens up, but not in predictable ways.
Wallace is played by Jason Segel, best known for his TV and film comedy roles (How I Met Your Mother, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), but strong here in a serious and compelling performance as an author with plenty to say on the page, but not necessarily verbally.
Eisenberg matches him as a reporter who discovers they have more in common than they might think.
Wallace's book "Infinite Jest" is legendary for its 1000+ page complexity and being the ultimate difficult read.
The author himself wrestles with whether people read it as a rite of passage or some personal quest to finish the impossible.
Sadly, it's only one of the many things he wrestles with in this tragic and serious tale.
The actors are superb, and the story isn't all doom and gloom. Taken directly from the taped interviews, Wallace and Lipsky's conversations take on everything from fast food and popular film and television, to the nature of relationships and loyalty, with plenty of discourse that will make you think and laugh.
Wallace is a tragic figure, made all the more so by the fact that he will never share his unique perspective with the seasoning of his older years and experience.
The End of the Tour is a well made tribute to Wallace, his perspective and the man he was, flaws and all.
It gets a solid B.
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