Eddie Palmer (Justin Timberlake) was a star quarterback at Riverside High School in Louisiana. However, after making some mistakes, Palmer’s life has been turned upside down after spending some time in jail. After his release he moved into his grandmother’s, Vivian (June Squibb), house. While his intentions are simply to find a job and stay out of trouble, a young boy, Sam (Ryder Allen), sort of ends up in his lap. The two have very little in common, and a relationship between the two seems incredibly far-fetched. However, life’s curveball has thrown Palmer’s expectations into a tizzy, and the only person there now to support him is the unsuspecting Sam. Their unlikely friendship will mean more to both of them than they could have ever imagined; what they do with that friendship will soon define them.
Timberlake has managed to stay absent from Hollywood for some time now. He’s portrayed Branch in Trolls, but other than that, and a few music videos, his acting career has run somewhat stagnant for the past few years or so. Prior to his career seemingly coming to a standstill he was seen in many comedic roles that seemed to define his career, preparing his fans for similar roles to follow. Palmer sees Timberlake in a role unlike any that he’s portrayed before. Palmer is, in nearly every way, different from his previous roles; this role allows him to step out of his comfort zone and into a role that permits viewers to see exactly what the former boy band member is capable of. Timberlake proves his worth, more than ever, in this dramatic, multidimensional role.
Palmer’s casting, thanks to Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee, is impeccable, and finds a dynamic cast to convey this unique story of family. Timberlake clearly possesses the ability to fill his role with exceptional vigor, but, without his counterpart, young Allen, the role, and the film, mean nothing. Ryder Allen is tasked with bringing to life the highly conflicted, unapologetically gay Sam. He, in the early going, is literally everything that Palmer is not, and, as a result, is the reason for Palmer’s change from beginning to end. This young man is talented beyond anything that viewers could have hoped for; as the film progresses, his character never changes and it’s clear that the role he is playing is meant to stand firm to his beliefs. Seeing Allen in this position, a position where he is meant to appear vulnerable is, as much as Timberlake’s Palmer, the allure of Palmer. It’s too simple to say that Allen is talented beyond his years, as he exudes confidence and an ability unlike anything I’ve seen in an actor this age. He’s brilliant, not just for his age, but for Hollywood; Palmer seems like his opportunity into the big time. After this performance, I hope and pray that this newcomer has a chance to continue his career in any capacity that he wishes.
Crying is not something that I’m accustomed to during films, however, the right amount of emotion can bring me close to tears. Palmer, while full of emotion throughout the course of the first three quarters of the film, remains rather even keeled and doesn’t provoke emotion strong enough to lead to tears; it does, however, create an understanding of what viewers are meant to feel in the final act of Palmer. As that final act plays out, and characters’ stories come to a conclusion, viewers are forced to the verge of tears as the connection to each of these characters is as strong as any audience has felt before. Again, the acting ability of Timberlake and Allen are beyond what viewers had expected, but exactly what was needed to make this film work. The emotion present in the film is perfectly accurate in its delivery. From writer Cheryl Guerriero, to director Fisher Stevens (and this feels like his first true success in Hollywood), to the dazzling actors, Palmer receives an accurate representation of emotion, and it brilliantly evokes that emotion in the final act.
Stevens, Guerriero, and the talented cast get everything they want out of their viewers, and vice versa. Palmer, from beginning to end, finds the audience emotionally vulnerable and attached, creating this unbreakable bond. As Sam and Palmer’s relationship grows viewers understand more and more the importance of what the two actors are portraying on screen. Everything, from the characters, to the emotion, to the connection between the viewers and what occurs on screen, comes as a result of the impeccable script and the breakout direction from Stevens. Palmer makes viewers vulnerable in the best possible way.
Directed by Fisher Stevens.
Written by Cheryl Guerriero.
Starring Justin Timberlake, Ryder Allen, Alisha Wainwright, Juno Temple, June Squibb, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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