Wwithin the first 15 or more minutes of the Apple TV + Palmer, something clicks, an overwhelming sense of familiarity, an inner voice silently realizing: “Ohhh, it’s This one film. “In this particular case, This one film being the one about the ex-convict who must get along with the help of a handsome boy, a robust story often told. It is not that the leftovers from reheating cannot make a satisfying meal, but when done with such low energy and low-power central performance, it is difficult to see the point. Why not, errrr, instead, tell a new story?
To give some credit to screenwriter Cheryl Guerriero, there is a slight adjustment in the formula and it’s what gives Palmer the most only, vaguely interesting moments. While the main character, played by Justin Timberlake, is every ex-con in a cold movie with an easily turned frown that you can imagine, the boy who melts him is a non-conforming boy who lives in the trailer next door, an intriguingly unspeakable dynamic, but that promises much more than what is delivered. Palmer, straight out of prison for a violent crime and straight to his grandmother’s house, played by June Squibb, is eager to start his life over.
But the city he returned to is not so ready, and Palmer’s good intentions quickly disappear. Between drinking and fucking, he creates an unlikely friendship with Sam, played by newcomer Ryder Allen, an eight-year-old boy whose choice of dolls over cars makes him an outcast at school and at home. When Sam’s mother, played by Juno Temple, runs away with her violent boyfriend, Palmer is suddenly left in charge of him while also juggling a flourishing romance with his teacher, played by Alisha Wainwright.
In the hands of actor and director Fisher Stevens (whose work behind the camera tends to be non-fiction), Palmer has played as a fourth-rate Oscar offer since the early days, all faded cinematography and guitar score, the type of film which would aim to burst at Sundance, with critics calling its main performance “revealing”. Perhaps in another universe with a better script and a different star, it could have been the case. But, instead, Palmer is more of a “I’ve seen everything else, for sure” type of film, competent enough, but never reaching the highs and lows that drama like this requires. The story is that we can predict, almost until the last hit, which wouldn’t necessarily be a big problem if it were told with a little more fire, but it’s all so discreet, so third gear, it’s frustrating difficult to feel even the slightest emotion.
Where the film comes to life for a brief period is in the positioning of Sam, a boy who feels most comfortable playing with toys traditionally aimed at girls and, when allowed, dressing in that way too. Even if Guerriero is unable to discover the basic details of his relationship with Palmer (a more precise script would have been able to establish a more credible basis in the first act so that we become more attached to the third), there are effective moments that show the prejudices faced by children that do not fit the gender norms that we still impose on them. It is told in general lines, but stories like this, in order to reach a broader and more critical audience that may need a little spoon feed, often need to be, and although I would like more substance and knottiness from the film, it is a small step in the right direction with respect to a specific form of representation.
It would have been understandable, and perhaps merciful, if Timberlake had decided to give up being a non-Troll actor after his mortifying turn as a sailor who became a lifeguard who dreams of being a playwright on Woody Allen’s equally mistaken Wonder Wheel. Three years later and a brave lead role in a more stripped down drama should be the one that will finally take him to a more mature stage of his career. But Palmer is the type of character made for handsome actors who associate depth with beard length, a type of film rather than a living human being. Timberlake is almost fine, following the movements with the same hard work as the film around him, never really bad, but never good enough, a performance that fails to convince us once again that acting live is a good option for him .
Despite glimpses of something more challenging, Palmer is movie content to play it safe (your real path to redemption is to fit into a ready nuclear family), a truly incredible experience that desperately wants you to feel everything from tears to tears joy. But, ultimately, the only lingering feeling is déjà vu, that we’ve been here many times and it wouldn’t be good if we could go somewhere else