Fourth of July

Directed by Louis C.K., Fourth of July follows a neurotic pianist (Joe List’s Jeff) as he heads to Maine to spend the titular holiday with his dysfunctional family. Filmmaker C.K., working from a script written with List, delivers an exceedingly (and often excessively) low-key drama that remains watchable enough despite its aggressively meandering sensibilities, and there’s little doubt, ultimately, that the picture’s mild success is due predominantly to the affable performances and smattering of standout sequences – with the latter represented most keenly by a spellbinding late-in-the-game interlude in which Jeff loses his cool in front of his unpleasant clan. It’s clear, then, that Fourth of July‘s inability to become the stirring drama C.K. has obvious intended stems from its relentlessly erratic atmosphere, as the movie suffers from a hit-and-miss feel that’s especially noticeable (and problematic) within its palpably lackadaisical midsection – with the emphasis generally placed on Jeff and his family’s various arguments and disagreements. It’s grating stuff that wreaks havoc on the picture’s already-tenuous momentum and dulls the impact of the third act’s emotional beats, which is too bad, certainly, given that C.K. has admittedly peppered Fourth of July‘s closing stretch with a few touching moments (eg Jeff’s soft-spoken father finally speaks up). The final result is a decent-enough endeavor that benefits from the earnestness with which C.K. has infused the proceedings, although it’s impossible not to have expected more given C.K.’s involvement and the potential inherent in the premise.

**1/2 out of ****