'When You Finish Saving The World' Review: Jesse Eisenberg Gets Behind The Camera Passing The Neurosis Baton To Julianne Moore And Finn ...

Arlington TX

24 January, 2022

5:56 PM

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By Joe Friar, Fort Worth Report January 24, 2022 Jesse Eisenberg's directorial debut is a funny and poignant slice of the modern world where teenagers like Ziggy Katz (Finn Wolfhard) live on social media amassing followers while his mother Evelyn (Julianne Moore) a bourgeois liberal, is out to save the world one despondent person at a time. Clueless but decent folks disconnected from one another crafted from Eisenberg's signature neurosis. Watching Moore and Wolfhard going through the motions it's easy to imagine Eisenberg reciting some of the dialogue spewed forth by the mother-son duo. Clearly, there is a piece of the actor-turned-writer/director in each of these characters. It helps that Moore (known for her quirky performances) and Wolfhard (known for "Stranger Things" and "Ghostbusters: Afterlife") are very likable because their characters leave much to be desired. Ziggy and Evelyn aren't abhorred just a tad self-righteous. In the summer of 2020, Eisenberg recorded a five-hour audio drama for Audible with Wolfhard and Kaitlyn Dever. The futuristic story "When You Finish Saving the World" became the basis for the film which was reset in the present. While the audio version concentrated on the father-son dynamic, the film adaptation shifts the focus to the mother giving Julianne Moore the opportunity to conquer yet another role with a memorable performance that brings her character to life. The father role is downsized for the film, however, it's great to see Jay O. Sanders as the level-headed dad who is worn out by his wife and son's narcissistic hijinks. The Austin-born actor of stage and screen is a welcomed addition to the cast after 40+ years of memorable performances. Is it too late to resurrect his FBI Agent Kyle Craig character? Sanders played the role in "Kiss the Girls" and "Along Came a Spider" but never got to play the character as a villain (The Mastermind) as in James Patterson's "Roses Are Red." To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.