tragicomedy
Heartwarming – “Linoleum” with Jim Gaffigan
Jim Gaffigan as Cameron Edwin and Rhea Seehorn as Erin Edwin in a scene from the film “Linoleum – The All and All That”. photo
© -/Camino Filmverleih/dpa
An unsuccessful scientist’s life suddenly spirals out of control. “Linoleum” tells a special family story with sensitive humor.
Cameron is an unsuccessful scientist deep in a mid-life crisis. His career and his marriage are on the verge of failure. To make matters worse, his new neighbor gets Cameron’s long-awaited job. This is the initial situation Tragicomedy “Linoleum – The Everything and All That”. Then one morning, pieces of a crashed space capsule lie in Cameron’s garden. He begins to build a moon rocket in the garage and revives his unfulfilled childhood dream of becoming an astronaut.
With sensitive humor, US director Colin West tells an emotional family story that explores several major themes in life. Comedy star Jim Gaffigan takes on a hilarious dual role – playing not only Cameron, but also his mischievous new neighbor. Gaffigan (67) impresses with his wit and a lot of emotion. He gives both characters emotional depth. His wife Erin, played by Rhea Seehorn (“Better Call Saul”), also acts at her husband’s side with a lot of charm. “Linoleum” is an adventurous, heartwarming cinematic experience.
Cameron’s bourgeois and entrenched life suddenly takes on increasingly strange features. Inexplicable things happen. The father of the family seems increasingly lost in thought. The look of the film and the dreamy music also suggest that it is constantly slipping away from reality. And suddenly this mysterious older woman keeps appearing near him.
Director West weaves together several narrative strands in his film. “Linoleum” takes place in several times with the same characters at the same time. The protagonist’s memories collide with the present. But this is never too confusing or opaque.
“Linoleum – The All and All That” tells a subjective story, which, as the viewer soon learns, is increasingly overshadowed by old memories – there is a specific reason for this, which has to do with the psychological state of the protagonist. West first came up with the idea for the film when he visited his grandfather, who suffered from dementia, a few years ago. “In his head, reality seemed to follow different rules – so otherworldly that they almost felt like science fiction.”