Today’s quick review: For Ellen. Joby Taylor (Paul Dano), a discombobulated rockstar, drives across the country to finalize a messy divorce with his wife Claire (Margarita Levieva). But when he arrives, he learns that Claire wants full custody of their daughter Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo). Afraid of losing his daughter forever, Joby convinces Claire to let him see Ellen for a few hours so he can make up for the years he spent on the road.
For Ellen is a drama about a musician trying to reconnect with the daughter he was never there for. The movie follows Joby as he tries to justify all the time he spent chasing his dream, both to himself and to the family he left behind. For Ellen tries first and foremost to capture the character of Joby, an unreliable man who nevertheless loves his daughter. The movie has a decent emotional core, but it is undermined by mediocre storytelling.
For Ellen misplaces most of its effort. Joby is not as interesting as the movie wants him to be, a selfish man without the brains, charisma, or honesty needed to round him out. His scenes with Ellen are the highlight of the movie, ranging from painfully awkward to genuinely charming, and they start to give his character the growth he desperately needs. Unfortunately, these scenes are buried late in the movie and lead to a fairly limp payoff.
For Ellen will hold the most appeal for fans of realistic dramas about flawed characters. The movie has a slow start and spends most of its time with a character who lacks the usual traits that make flawed characters appealing. For viewers with enough patience and the right taste in characters, For Ellen might be worth a watch just to see Joby wrestle with his remorse. But for most viewers, it’s outclassed by more insightful dramas.
For a richer drama about an irresponsible man trying to connect with his daughter, try Hard Surfaces. For a minimalistic drama that tackles a similar personal crisis with more passion, try Locke.
[6.0 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1570583/). I give it a 5.5 for personal conflict that doesn’t quite pan out.