For Ellen review

A struggling musician fights for custody of his young daughter

Why you can trust 12DOVE Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Paul Dano sports a goatee, black nails and rock-star tattoos as struggling musician Joby fighting for custody of his young daughter.

Yet he’s as much of a screw-up as ever in this glacially paced indie from Treeless Mountain director So Yong Kim, a Sundance special whose muted emotions take a while to access.

Jon Heder’s turn as the small-town brief handling Dano’s divorce adds gentle humour to the slow-burning preamble.

Yet poignancy is reserved for Joby’s eventual meeting with Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo), a liaison so raw and true it points up the ponderous inertia of the rest.

Freelance Writer

Neil Smith is a freelance film critic who has written for several publications, including Total Film. His bylines can be found at the BBC, Film 4 Independent, Uncut Magazine, SFX, Heat Magazine, Popcorn, and more.