Danny Collins

To be completely honest, I was unaware of this movie's existence until last week when the Landmark Cinemas website updated their schedule, and announced that Danny Collins would be playing for one week only in my location. I was curious about this movie I had almost no knowledge of, so I decided to check it out, and I am extremely happy I did. Danny Collins is one of those "hidden gems" that probably won't be seen by many people, but should be. The movie is funny and entertaining, but also extremely heartfelt and touching. Despite Al Pacino being a very recognizable face, he was able to disappear into the role here. I didn't see him as Al Pacino, instead, I saw him as "Danny Collins". The script also deserves credit for the film's success; despite being a personal story, the movie is also able to inject moments of humor that fit. While the humor doesn't hit 100% of the time, it never feels out of place, and is for the most part, effective. What Danny Collins (talking the movie not the character) is also able to achieve is moving around what could be considered clichéd moments. Something may happen within the story that at first, feels like an obligatory set-up or plot device to heighten the drama. But the script cleverly makes these moments work within the overall movie, and handles the more intimate scenes perfectly. I am so happy I got the chance to see Danny Collins, and if it is playing in a theatre near you, I highly recommend going to check it out.