The Beach Bum (2019)

To live life as if your actions have no consequences and tomorrow is of little concern is not a viable option for most people in the world. Moondog (Matthew McConaughey) is blessed or maybe cursed, with such a life that he can live any way he sees fit. He is living each day full of joy, gliding from one moment to the next. Late in the film, he describes it as a sort of reverse paranoia; it's as if everyone and everything is designed to make him happier. Nihilism may not be the perfect descriptor for Moondog's outlook on life, although his philosophy is definitely adjacent to nihilism.

The plot of The Beach Bum is somewhat unimportant. It serves as a means to an end. The experience of the film is where the artistic and entertainment value lies. The utter absurdity of Moondog thrown into some reasonably serious situations allows for a lot of comedy. There is something incredibly euphoric about watching someone do all the things we are unable to for one reason or another. Moondogs' ability to continually roll with life's ups and downs, the mountains and the molehills, reminds us that life invariably goes on. Unfortunately, he may be the worst role-model in the history of the human race, so it's hard to trust anything he says or does.

Playing a scummy washed-up poet aimlessly wandering the beaches of Florida seems like a role designed for McConaughey. Moondog could have come off as more of a bumbling fool with another actor playing him, but McConaughey provides him with a delicate blend of ignorant indifference and quiet mysticism. His performance gives Moondog a much more tolerable quality and even comes off somewhat likeable at times. There are lots of other fun performances throughout the whole script, but the scenes with Moondog's agent Lewis (Jonah Hill) are some of the best the film has to offer. He is the antithesis of Moondog's personality. Motivated mostly by the pursuit of maintaining his status as a rich man Lewis is boisterous and conceited. Jonah Hill excels in the role making the character pop on screen.

The colour pallet of the film accentuates the otherworldly, often dreamlike feel of the film. Many scenes take place in the intense neon lights of a dinghy beach bar or a playboy millionaires marijuana grow operation. Whenever a scene takes place in a space that isn't bathed in light, Moondog always stands out wearing some of the loudest outfits imaginable. The wardrobe department did an outstanding job, another aspect that adds so much to the absurdist feeling that permeates throughout. The use of music in The Beach Bum isn't nearly as inspired as Harmony Korine's previous film Spring Breakers. Most of the time, the music is just there to be a soundtrack and doesn't add much except for one stand out sequence in the whole film. The original piano medley score that fills in a lot of other scenes is also somewhat lacklustre. The soundtrack and score never detract from any of the scenes, but they rarely add anything significant.

Korine is shaping up to be a striking cinematic voice. With a reasonably impressive record already, I believe he's on his way to becoming a prominent auteur of the next decade. His work on The Beach Bum feels very reminiscent of Spring Breakers. Both films have a dreamlike atmosphere while still keeping the plot adequately centred in reality. Actors get a lot more freedom working with a director and writer like Harmony, who is willing to diverge from the written page. The improvisational style allows for powerful moments on screen. Moondog may represent something that Korine feels as an artist who wants to comment on the more vulgar aspects of life but wants still to create meaningful art.

When it comes to films as directionless as The Beach Bum, it's not a surprise many audiences don't enjoy the product. The story is truly more about the journey than the destination. Watching Matthew McConaughey soak up every drop of life available to him and pour it all out into his poetry is a great ride. There are so many great performances scattered throughout that tend to distract for the aimless antics Moondog gets up to. Hopefully, Harmony Korine continues to surprise audiences with stories they aren't used to seeing and a unique cinematic voice.