“C’mon C’mon” is a heartfelt emotional rollercoaster of a movie. An interesting take on filmmaking, incredibly genuine and one of a kind performances from the stars and a unique storytelling technique combined for an amazing movie.

“C’mon C’mon” is a story about a middle aged, easy going journalist, Johnny (Joaquin Phoenix), who travels the country interviewing kids, asking them interesting questions such as: “What do you believe your future will be like?”, or, “What superpower would you want to have?” During this, Johnny is handed the task of taking care of his nephew, Jesse, an ADHD maniac of a child.

Ah, where to start? Mike Mills has created the best film of the year through this heartbreaking drama. He has written some of the most genuine, real and authentic characters ever. While watching, viewers feel the raw emotions that are so relatable, but so uncommon to see portrayed in a movie. Every scene almost feels like viewers are placed inside a home of real people and just watched. Nothing feels scripted, it’s just normal people reacting to all the crap life throws at them.

Joaquin Phoenix and Woody Norman (Jesse) have such a strong chemistry on screen. Viewers truly do feel the relationship of the characters flow from uncle-nephew, to best friends. Joaquin shines throughout the development of his character. From introverted, close minded, and slightly broken down man, to a hopeful, feel-each-moment-kinda-guy. Phoenix deserves his second Oscar with this beautiful portrayal. In a movie with Joaquin Phoenix starring, you would think that he would overpower the other actors, but that is not the case here. Woody Norman, at only 11 years old, delivers the best child acting performances I have ever seen. His portrayal of Jesse is incredibly fluid and he pairs with Joaquin very well.

Both of the characters share the screen throughout most of the 1hr 49min runtime, and you will never get tired of seeing them together.

Mike Mills not only created a beautiful film that is satisfying to watch but also touches on serious topics and issues. “C’mon C’mon” is really a film about the importance of parenting and how parenting can give the parent a new perspective on life and how a child is influenced by their parents. Mills perfectly portrays the effects of childhood trauma and how many children are taught to bottle all of their emotions and never express emotions.

The film also features many real-life interviews of children across the country. These children were asked thought-provoking questions that will open audiences’ eyes to how a child’s mind works. Before all of the bad experiences, mean people, or traumatic episodes, these young children answer these questions with such hope and zero negativity. But, the truly sad part is when they would interview young teenagers. When asked the same questions, some of the teens would provide answers such as “I don’t think the world is going to end, I think it will just become dirtier.” The contrast these two interviews provide is heartbreaking because we see the effects of what these kids are going through.

Aspects such as score, cinematography, set design, costume, makeup and all of that did not disappoint. This movie is shot in black and white and in a 1.66: 1 aspect ratio. Usually, I think black and white movies are just black and white to offer a feeling of nostalgia or to make the movie seem less modern, but that was not the case with “C’mon C’mon.” There were times I actually forgot the film was black and white, because it just fits so well. Every shot is framed beautifully throughout well-designed sets and popular landscapes.

“C’mon C’mon” is by far the greatest movie of the year and one of the most aesthetically pleasing projects I have seen. This movie truly spoke to me, made me cry, and had me in awe of how well it was made. This is a very relevant and important story that will speak to many others. Touching on important subjects such as the importance of parenting, effects of childhood trauma, environmental protection, and to understand that it is okay to “not be fine.” This is a movie that I will be rewatching and this is a movie that I believe every single person must watch.