Irrational Man: A Movie Review

IRRATIONAL MAN is about a tormented philosophy professor who finds a will to live when he commits an existential act. Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix) is at rock bottom emotionally, unable to find any meaning or joy in life.  Soon after arriving at his new job, Abe gets involved with two women: Rita Richards (Parker Posey), a lonely professor who wants him to rescue her from her unhappy marriage; and Jill Pollard (Emma Stone), his best student, who becomes his closest friend. While Jill loves her boyfriend Roy (Jamie Blackley), she finds Abe's tortured, artistic personality and exotic past irresistible. Even as Abe displays signs of mental imbalance, Jill's fascination with him only grows. Still, when she tries to make their relationship a romantic one, he rebuffs her.Pure chance changes everything when Abe and Jill overhear a stranger's conversation and become drawn in."  www.sonyclassics.com/irrationalman

I love movie trailers as much as the next guy, but sometimes they show the best parts of the movie, or at least predict the outcome.  Trust me on this, Irrational Man is not the movie you think it will be.  

The chemistry between Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix is fantastic - and if you are a fellow Phoenix fan like me, you will not be disappointed.  He portrays vulnerability like no other actor in his time, & somehow makes every woman want him.  

There is much to be said for just "getting by" in life  - losing the desire to go beyond our comfort levels.  I see it all the time when I talk with people about being a dream chaser.  They look at me a bit lost, I can see them thinking "what is she talking about?"  While few people would go to the lengths Abe Lucas goes, most people do daydream about changing their path.  This movie does a brilliant job of showing us just how far some will go, the risks we are willing to take, and what we are capable of doing to keep our secrets safe and sound.

While "Irrational Man" may not have been a hit with the box office, it was a hit with me. 

Irrational man is rated R & is now streaming online, or available on DVD or Blu-Ray.