THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Recovery can be a long process for one person, but it can be nice to have some help along the way.
PLOT
Causeway follows Lynsey, returning to her hometown in New Orleans after suffering a brain injury from an IED explosion during a military tour in Afghanistan. After settling in with her mother Gloria (Linda Emond), she chooses to work as a pool cleaner while her body physically recovers. Despite the traumatic experience, she hopes to be redeployed. Her doctor, Dr. Lucas (Stephen Henderson) is hesitant to sign a waiver that’ll better her chances, aware that her trauma can create depression. During one day when borrowing her mother’s truck, it breaks down, thus sending it to an auto shop to be repaired. There, she quickly befriends an auto mechanic named James who kindly gives her a ride home. Her relationship with her mother would remain distant when she refuses to have an office job and anticipates redeployment. Lynsey would continue spending time with James as he would help her out at work. One night when they go out to eat and share beer, she does acknowledge that she isn't into him intimately as she prefers women. She does share more of her life that she has a brother who used to do drugs. James would then share that he had a fiance who left him when his nephew died in a car accident. He lost his left foot as a result of what happened. As Lynsey dropped him off, he drunkenly admits his interest in having her move into his home, due to not wanting to be alone anymore. The next day when they have 'sno-balls' for lunch, even he believes it doesn't sound good of an idea for her to redeploy. The following night, she invites him to a pool she just cleaned. As they share beer and swim together, James admits that it is his fault for what happened to his son since he allowed him to sit in the front seat instead of his fiance. They share a hug of comfort, but Lynsey would choose to kiss him. She would stop herself by admitting she did it out of pity, which quickly upsets him. This gives him the chance to confess how she makes things confusing for him to understand, as in believing her brother is dead. She would correct him by saying he is still alive but is in prison for drug dealing. Knowing that, he believes she doesn't bring it up to avoid people thinking she abandoned her family. She rebuttals the argument by getting him to admit he did drink before the accident. Once he does, he ends the argument by leaving. Some time after this, Dr. Lucas would come around in signing the waiver Lynsey needs to be redeployed, but makes clear that she shouldn't go back due to the said risks. After that, she would get the track and find herself that James fixed it for free due to her service. She would then visit her brother Justin (Russell Harvard) in prison, who is revealed to be deaf and speaks via ASL; During the visit, he admits to how comfortable he's been in his sentence, claiming to not trust himself on the outside. After this, Lynsey would visit James again and try to make peace with him by offering him beer. The film would end in a cliffhanger with Lynsey saying she's ready to move in with him before James could decide if he still wants that.
THOUGHTS
With AppleTV+ getting to the top of the food chain after CODA won Best Picture, I knew I was gonna take this platform much more serious in the future. I wasn't sure if I was gonna see this movie in particular but I always knew it wouldn't hurt trying. So I did and I naturally enjoyed what was given. To me, I believe Director Lila Neugebauer was able to make a daring example of how we try to find comfort to escape from trauma. Since trauma itself can come from multiple possibilities/outcomes, people can find their own way to confront. Sometimes, they take an act of reverie to push it away. It is nice to be distracted from the bad, but in the end, you can't forever avoid what has to be confronted/accepted. Jennifer Lawrence definitely gave a raw performance of one who is in such a dilemma. As Lynsey, she is a very intuitive person who knows she can recover, but avoids the one thing that can help her the most. She feels that her past before first deployment was so traumatic compared to her IED accident that she'd rather redeploy than spend time with her mother. She hates how her mind is ready but not her body as it doesn't function like it used to. She can't even herself speaking aloud personal thoughts, proving how less of control she has which she hates. She spent a long amount of her life having that and can't stand the possibility of relying on others. She isolates herself when cleaning pools because it's one of few things she can do without help, due to specializing in water systems as an engineer for the army. Every shot focused on her shows how isolated she is and she prefers it because she believes it to be comfortable. Of course it is important to show growth through independence, but that shouldn't mean to avoid help when needing it. Enter Brian Tyree Henry who brought a heart of gold with him in his first Oscar nominated performance. As James, he is a guy who has his own trauma, yet he doesn't always let it get to him the way it does for Lynsey. He doesn't feel consumed like she does and has been able to cope as long as he has. The gentle chemistry both actors/characters had was beautiful to witness because it showed that it's okay to be vulnerable in moments of struggle, as that shows you at your most honest. If you're not honest with yourself, you'll never get over what bothers you. Lynsey was understanding that during her time with James and appreciated that, but she made a mistake in pushing him away with her poor choice of words which isn't her fault due to her condition. With her personal realization, it gives her the chance to pave the way at being open minded. Seeing her visit her brother, go to the public pool and her attempt to make amends in the end proves that. Seeing her actually consider James' offer further proves her own acceptance to take things slow when recovering. I don't know if he said yes or not to letting her back in because he could still be upset. I like to think he came around because we know he doesn't want to be alone and he naturally appreciates her the way she does with him. If he does say yes, I'm sure they'll enjoy the new chapter they make for themselves. If it's a no, I hope they figure out an alternative to be at peace with themselves/each other. In short, Causeway is a standout film from 2022 for effectively showing humanity at its most vulnerable. If you have AppleTV+ and seek comfort, I think this one can do it for you.
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