'Causeway' Review: Jennifer Lawrence Returns to Her Roots in Intimate Drama of a Soldier's Recovery
'Causeway'
R: Some language, sexual references, and drug use
Runtime: 1 Hour and 32 Minutes
Production Companies: A24, Excellent Cadaver, IAC Films, IPR.VC
Distributor: Apple TV+
Director: Lila Neugebauer
Writers: Elizabeth Sanders, Luke Goebel, Ottessa Moshfegh
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jayne Houdyshell
Release Date: November 4, 2022
In Theaters & Apple TV+
Causeway is an intimate portrait of a soldier struggling to adjust to her life after returning home to New Orleans.
Whenever Jennifer Lawrence attaches her name to a drama, you know she's about to deliver a powerful, vigorous performance. Given the career the Academy Award-winning actress has had thus far, her roles have become familiar to her audience. It has been a long time since Lawrence portrayed a character who resembled an everyday person with complexities. In Lila Neugebauer’s drama feature Causeway, Lawrence proves that her showy Hollywood side is a thing of the past.
Thomas Wolfe once said you can’t go home again. Causeway applies that sentiment to Lynsey (Jennifer Lawrence), a soldier who survived an IED bomb explosion during a tour in Afghanistan and must return to her hometown of New Orleans, Louisana. Due to the lingering traumatic effects that left her with physical and mental damage, Lynsey attends rehabilitation and tries to reset her life. She goes home to her sweet mom, befriends a friendly, laid-back mechanic named James, and tries to come to grips with her path to healing. Despite her disability getting the best of her, she self-imposes an urge to redeploy back to work when her psychiatrist (Stephen McKinley Henderson) advises her not to do so.
Causeway’s strongest suit is Neugebauer’s naturalistic approach to story and character. She gracefully diverges from the dramatized Hollywood attitude in exploring the rough patch Lynsey faces upon her return home. The first 30 minutes of the film allow the viewer an intimate depiction of Lynsey's recovery in a harrowingly natural manner. She can't hold items for a long time, gets anxious whenever she hears a pin drop and suffers from insomnia. She also releases her thoughts out loud uncontrollably. The film doesn't hyperbolize the symptoms of her brain injury for cinematic effect.
The grounded slice-of-life atmosphere is elevated further through its New Orleans setting, where the film was shot on location. Lynsey’s newfound lifestyle includes reconnecting with her mom, moving in with her, and getting a pool cleaning job. The familiar slice-of-life material benefits from the connections she shares with the endearing people around her, giving the film a homely vibe. Writers Elizabeth Sanders, Luke Goebel, and Ottessa Moshfegh hit the trappings of the structure, but the dialogue shared between the people within Lynsey’s world is authentic and nuanced. They convey a realistic portrait of adult loneliness, slowly building their characters to open up to each other. The writing hits its height whenever Lynsey and James get to know each other. The details of their pasts are bleak, but the thematic message of healing that correlates to their trauma resonates.
Causeway is a form of homecoming for Lawrence, starring in intimate movies that challenge her to deliver intimate performances. The effort she put into researching the disabilities that this veteran—and many other veterans—suffers from is admirable. She easily adapts to the film's environment and delivers an authentic performance—one reminiscent of what made viewers adore her in the first place. Plus, the chemistry she shares with Brian Tyree Henry is where the real magic lies.
Brian Tyree Henry has proven to be a remarkable actor, and this is one of his most outstanding performances. He brings an irresistible charm to his scenes that provide an aura of safety. I initially feared James would fall into the magical negro trope due to his friendliness towards Lynsey, but he becomes a satisfyingly fleshed-out character. Once James sheds light on his traumatic past, he instantly becomes the most enticing character in the film. He sweeps the rug out from under Lynsey and makes me question, “Why didn't we explore this character instead?!” No disrespect to Lynsey, but James surviving his own tragedy makes him a compelling character the audience would like to know better.
Causeway was doing a great job as a grounded slice-of-life drama that authentically portrayed adult themes of healing and resetting life. However, the third act forces a conflict between James and Lynsey that disrupts the entire vibe and transforms it into an uncomfortable soap opera. The two share good camaraderie of platonic friendship, but the lines blur when Lynsey comes out as a lesbian to James. A forced moment of romance is present that completely tanks the story. There are a lot of great movies these days that explore themes of platonic adult friendship, and Causeway was twirling that baton well. Then, it tripped and went straight to the '90s for no discernible reason. The glaring gear shift makes the ridge feel forced, and the story beats become clear as day by then.
Causeway is a thoughtful slice-of-life that authentically explores the recovery steps after a traumatic event. Led by powerful performances from Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry, this realistic look at resetting yourself from the ground up is homely despite its melodramatic finale.
