Much of the
narrative in The Confirmation has
been done previously, and occasionally with far more dedication to realism
(there are moments which bring to mind Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves), but it is in the optimistic tone and engaging
performances that this film finds its stride. Like the Oscar nominated film, Nebraska
Taking place
over the course of a weekend, eight-year-old Anthony (Jaeden Lieberher) is to
spend far more time than usual with his father, Walt (Clive Owen), a carpenter
suffering from personal and financial set-backs. A carpenter by trade, Walt
struggles to make ends meet freelancing from job to job, driving a truck that
threatens to break down and living in a small home that he is dangerously late
on the rent for. To make matters worse, Walt is an alcoholic attempting to go
cold turkey for the weekend with his son.
Despite being
somewhat familiar with his father’s situation, Anthony comes from a different
lifestyle with his mother (Maria Bello), a devout Catholic living with her clueless
but stable new husband (Matthew Modine). Their relationship retreat is what
gives Walt the opportunity to show he has the ability to be a father to
Anthony, at least for one weekend. What is intended to be an uneventful couple
of days for the young boy about to be confirmed in the Catholic Church, ends up
becoming an adventure in questionable morals and a series of complicated life
lessons.
The
misadventures between father and son begin with the theft of important
woodworking tools, followed by the loss of both vehicle and home. Suddenly Walt
is forced to scramble like never before, this time with his son to be taken
care of. Along with needing a healthy dose of creativity in order to survive,
Walt must hunt down the stolen tools in order to complete a job he has acquired
for Monday morning. Anthony also finds a solution to his problem of having no
sins to confess at church, suddenly put in many morally questionable situations
in order to help his well-intentioned father.
Despite Nelson
receiving acclaim as a screenwriter, this is where The Confirmation is often on shakiest ground. The film often only
succeeds due to the dedicated performances, which are enough to overcome some
transparently contrived and painfully predictable situations. This doesn’t just
include the two leads playing father and son, though they certainly carry a
majority of the film’s weight, but also the various supporting characters that
they meet along the way. None are mere caricatures, but instead feel fully
developed and fit well in world of low-income survival. Those who steal don’t
feel like villains so much as desperate individuals with limited options and
decreasing hope.
The Blu-ray
special features include two featurettes, covering the characters and the
performances of the film. The high definition disc also comes with a Digital HD
copy of the film. There is little in the visuals or audio that requires the
upgraded presentation.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7/10
Historical
Significance: 5/10
Special Features: 4.5/10
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