Matthew McConaughey (Moondog) is regarded by many to be one of the best talents in Hollywood. He has won nearly fifty different awards, including the 2014 Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Dallas Buyers Club. Full disclosure, McConaughey has regularly irritated me and continued to disappoint, leaving me baffled at how and why viewers have fallen in love with him. His laissez faire attitude (that somehow manages to shine through in each of his films) vexes me and draws me further and further away from any form of appreciation for the actor. However, Harmony Korine’s The Beach Bum may just be the perfect role for the subjectively overrated (and objectively repetitive) McConaughey.
Moondog is a laid back, low-life stoner who has what many might consider the ideal life. He’s married to an attractive woman--Minnie (Isla Fisher)--has a bunch of close friends and lives a life completely void of stress. No matter how many times he screws up, Minnie is always willing to forgive him. Being high and/or drunk is a norm and the beautiful Florida sun keeps him company on his many fun-filled endeavors. However, when his world is completely flipped upside down, a series of difficulties befall the miscreant and make life far more difficult than anything Moondog has ever experienced. Moondog is The Beach Bum and this is the story of his redemption in the strangest of ways.
How does one compliment an actor’s ability to appear high as a kite all the time? Well, write a character that is quite literally high all the time. While the role was not originally intended for McConaughey, the role suits him nicely. Based on interviews that I’ve seen with the actor, it appears that much of what takes place throughout the film reflects his actual personality (in terms of the appearance of being drunk) and requires very little acting. With that being said, McConaughey manages to appear adequate in his performance throughout The Beach Bum and entertain his audience on a rudimentary level. He, however, is surrounded by far more talented individuals who are able to look even better than usual.
Talents like Fisher, Zac Efron (Flicker) and Martin Lawrence (Captain Wack) are able to contribute to The Beach Bum effectively and outshine the film’s protagonist. These individuals contribute a great deal to the film, even when their roles are small, allowing viewers to appreciate their talent. Their ability to convey lowlives similar to Moondog is compelling and intriguing. While my expectations for McConaughey were low, the fact that nearly every other actor is able to outshine him is still a bit disheartening.
The Beach Bum is a film that does not appeal to everyone. It promotes drug use, infidelity and adultery, trimming its potential audience to a size small enough to possibly hinder its success. However, The Beach Bum is unrelentingly aggressive in its approach to entertain in the most simplistic of ways. The film provokes absolutely no thought and allows viewers to kick back and enjoy the nonsensical comedy provided by McConaughey’s nearly braindead Moondog and his asininely similar friends.
It’s difficult to look past the dislike that I have for McConaughey, but it would be unfair to say that his performance in The Beach Bum is poor. In some ways his performance is even inspiring. The fact that one of my least favorite actors has managed to find a role in which I not only tolerate, but appreciate him does speak to his abilities. I struggle to see the allure that constantly surrounds him, but he does bring something to the table that I have had difficulty seeing before. He truly does step up to the plate and portray this persona non grata with some form of vigor, and his typical laid back personality does end up being inviting and endearing to some degree. The Beach Bum is mindless entertainment guided by a series of immoral and illegal behaviors. The absurdities strewn throughout the film help to create a story lacking much substance, but providing some inexplicable entertainment.
Written & Directed by Harmony Korine. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher, Stefania LaVie Owen, Martin Lawrence, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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