Palmer DRAMA After 12 years in prison, former high school football star Eddie Palmer returns home to put his life back together—and forms an unlikely bond with Sam, an outcast boy from a … Justin Timberlake stars as an ex-athlete who returns home after serving a prison sentence in the trailer for the new movie “Palmer.”. ‘Palmer’ Review – Apple TV+ Coming exclusively to Apple TV+ on January 29. Check out the details in my parents guide movie review. The scenes with … PalmerRated R for machismo-mongering. So is the annoyance inspired by this prosaic masculine melodrama. Directed by Fisher Stevens. "Palmer" joins Apple's growing library of shows, movies, and documentaries, including alternative-history drama "For All Mankind," psychological … Timberlake's Eddie Palmer was a high-school football star, whose bad judgment landed him a 12-year prison sentence. The singer-cum-actor doesn’t have quite enough gravitas to lift a predictable story of an ex-convict forced to look after a kid, Last modified on Mon 25 Jan 2021 17.02 GMT. Analysis. Tags @Netflix_CA, #NewYearNewView, Apple TV, Netflix, Netflix Canada, New Year's resolutions, Planet Earth, Sony HT-CT80 Soundbar, Soul Surfer By Casey E. Palmer Calling the Great White North his home, Casey‘s spent the last few decades in pursuit of creating killer content. Read the review. In the hands of actor-director Fisher Stevens (whose work behind the camera has tended to be non-fiction), Palmer plays like a fourth-rate Oscar bid from the early aughts, all washed-out cinematography and guitar pluck score, the kind of film that would have aimed to break big at Sundance with critics calling its lead performance “revelatory”. Timberlake is just about fine, going through the motions with the same plod as the film around him, never truly bad but never good enough, a performance that fails to convince us yet again that live-action acting is a good fit for him. When Sam’s mother, played by Juno Temple, runs off with her violent boyfriend, Palmer is suddenly left in charge of him while also juggling a burgeoning romance with his teacher, played by Alisha Wainwright. Palmer, he’s in the middle, not condemning, not completely understanding, but most importantly, he is willing to listen and learn. Apple TV+ review: 'Palmer' starring Justin Timberlake is an effective Southern drama. Overall Palmer is a very well made and very well performed film; I have very few gripes but I am very well aware that the somewhat “towing the line” story is being held up by a simply stunning performance from its core cast. After 12 years in prison, former high school football star Eddie Palmer returns home to put his life back together—and forms an unlikely bond with Sam, an outcast boy from a troubled home. An inspiring and unexpected journey unfolds for the three of them, but soon Palmer's past threatens to tear apart this new life. The story is one we can predict, almost down to every last beat, which again wouldn’t necessarily be a major problem if it was told with a bit more fire, but it’s all so low-key, so third gear, that it’s frustratingly hard to feel even the slightest of emotion. Instead, the director Fisher Stevens hews closely to Palmer, a tough guy with a sensitive side who punches people when he feels feelings. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances and themes though noted its familiarity. But instead, Palmer is more of an “I’ve seen everything else, so sure” kinda plane movie, sort of competent enough but never reaching any of the high highs and low lows a drama such as this requires. Though he’s bullied at school, Sam is an assured, easygoing kid. In a way, “Palmer” feels like a riff on Charlie Chaplin’s “The Kid,” in which a reluctant father figure assumes the mantle out of a sympathy that eventually turns to love. But the town he’s come back to isn’t quite so ready, and Palmer’s good intentions quickly fade away. Big Gold Belt Media Reviews Palmer. Here is my movie review of Palmer streaming on Apple TV! Justin Timberlake’s performance really showcases his growth as an actor. To give screenwriter Cheryl Guerriero some credit, there is a slight tweak to the formula and it’s one that gives Palmer its most, arguably only, vaguely interesting moments. It’s told in broad strokes, but then stories like this, in order to reach a wider, judgmental audience who might need a bit of spoon-feeding, often need to be, and while I craved more substance and knottiness from the film, it’s a small step in the right direction with regards to a specific form of representation. Despite the flashes of something more challenging, Palmer is a film content to play it safe (his true road to redemption is to slot himself into a ready-made nuclear family), a truly whelming experience that wants you to desperately feel everything from tears to joy. That Palmer eventually embraces Sam as an ally in misfitdom is inevitable. Three years on and a gritty lead role in a more stripped back drama should be the one to finally edge him into a more mature stage of his career. It might not set the world on fire, but the film proves uniquely difficult to resist. There are … Palmer, Apple TV+, review: Justin Timberlake gives one of his best performances as ex-con and reluctant father Justin Timberlake looks more … Perhaps in another universe with a better script and a different star, that might have been the case. However, “Palmer’s” unique emotional core and message put it a step beyond most of its competition and puts it upfront among the best properties available on AppleTV+. When Vivian passes away, Palmer is forced to care for Sam, even as he struggles to restart a new life for himself. An ex-convict strikes up a friendship with a boy from a troubled home. Palmer was digitally released by Apple TV+ on January 29, 2021. Returning to his home town … ‘Palmer’ Review: A Crisis of Masculinity - The New York Times Updated April 30, 2021. Write your own review for Palmer The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances and themes though noted its … Apple’s streaming service launched in November 2019 with a suite of buzzy, high-profile shows, including The Morning Show with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, Jason Momoa in sci-fi series See, and Hailee Steinfeld as the titular poet in Dickinson. Singer Justin Timberlake returns to the movies on Apple TV+ in the engaging "Palmer," a Louisiana-set drama about an ex-con who becomes an unlikely father figure. While the titular character, played by Justin Timberlake, is every frosty movie ex-con with an easily flipped frown you can think of, the kid who melts him is a gender non-conforming boy who lives in the trailer next door, an intriguingly untold dynamic but one that promises far more than is delivered. Palmer (Justin Timberlake) hits the bar and carouses with buddies, but his townie itinerary changes when he finds himself saddled with caring for Sam (Ryder Allen), the cherubic child of a neglectful neighbor. "Palmer," an original film that follows a former college football phenomenon who returns to his hometown after a stint in prison, is now available exclusively on Apple TV+. But ultimately, the only persistent feeling is that of deja vu, that we’ve been here before too many times, and wouldn’t it be nice if we could go somewhere else instead, Palmer is available on Apple TV+ from 29 January, Malcolm & Marie review – furious film-maker takes a pop at critics. Apple TV+ once again delivers in quality far above quantity, affording Justin Timberlake easily the best work of his limited career, in a worthy small-scale tale of redemption. Palmer, written by Cheryl Guerriero, is no different. But to Palmer, a former high school quarterback, Sam “ain’t like other boys,” and will have a hard go at life unless he learns to abide by the macho agenda. This is my Spoiler Free Review for the brand new Apple TV+ Movie Palmer! It’s not that reheating leftovers can’t make for a filling meal but when done with such low energy and with such a low-wattage central performance, it’s hard to see the point. Like a bad egg set to boil, a rugged ex-convict softens and then cracks in the pallid drama “Palmer.” The film, streaming on Apple TV+, opens with its stoic protagonist returning home to rural Louisiana after serving a 12-year prison sentence. Justin Timberlake start as Eddie Palmer, a felon who recently gets out of jail. Watch on Apple TV+. Determined to start over, he returns to his grandmother Vivian’s home and finds that some things have changed in the 12 years he was locked away. But Palmer is the kind of character made for handsome actors who associate depth with beard length, a movie type rather than a living, breathing human being. Life improves for Palmer, and a romance develops between him and Sam's teacher Maggie (Alisha Wainwright). Even if Guerriero can’t quite figure out the nuts and bolts of his relationship with Palmer (a sharper script would have been able to lay a more believable foundation in the first act for us to then be more attached by the third), there are effective moments showcasing the prejudices faced by kids who don’t conform to the gender norms we still thrust on to them. But the movie’s most frustrating revelation comes near the end, when it has the gall to correlate Sam’s nonconformity with Palmer’s outsider status. When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. IMDb, the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. Palmer, straight out of jail for a violent crime and straight into the house of his grandmother, played by June Squibb, is eager to restart his life. “Palmer” may have been better suited to a limited or open-ended series format, instead of cramming all its business into 110 minutes. Yet, there’s an underlying melancholy to the narrative for the most part of the show. Sometimes that can absolutely be enough but other times you need a story that’s not afraid to be what it wants to be. Running time: 1 hour 50 minutes. Why not, errrr, tell a new story instead? https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/movies/palmer-review.html, Most Read: ‘The Underground Railroad’ Review, Justin Timberlake and Ryder Allen in “Palmer.”. Former high school football star Eddie Palmer (Justin Timberlake) went from hometown hero to convicted felon, earning himself 12 years in a state penitentiary. Palmer review – Justin Timberlake dominates modest family drama The singer is just too charismatic to convince as a surly former prisoner forced to care for a bullied boy Sam enjoys playing with femininity; he tries on lipstick, adores dolls and, on Halloween, asks to dress up as a fairy princess. Justin Timberlake and Ryder Allen in Palmer, a film content to play it safe. The singer-cum-actor doesn’t have quite enough gravitas to lift a predictable story of an Are you watching Palmer this weekend starring Justin Timberlake? The women pose more tiresome clichés; they are either churchgoing or, in the case of the story’s love interest (Alisha Wainwright), an empathic vessel for Palmer’s pent-up emotion. (Photo by Apple TV+) All Apple TV+ Shows and Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer. ithin the first 15 or so minutes of Apple TV+’s Palmer, something clicks in, a feeling of overwhelming familiarity, an inner voice quietly realising, “Ohhh, it’s. “I’m different, that’s for sure,” Palmer replies, when Sam asks if Palmer’s queer — a word he learned from his mom’s brutal boyfriend. With Justin Timberlake, Juno Temple, Alisha Wainwright, Ryder Allen. Palmer is like a placebo intended to temporarily make you feel better about the world, lying to you that every bad guy is a good guy at heart and every wrong can eventually be righted. In between bouts of drinking and shagging, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with Sam, played by newcomer Ryder Allen, an eight-year-old boy whose choice of dolls over cars has him painted as an outcast both at school and at home. There’s something charming and inspiring about dramas showing people trying to get back to good ways after hitting lows in life. If “Palmer” had emerged as Sam’s story, this formulaic film might have found its footing following a mold-breaking character down familiar country roads. Palmer is a success due to the exceptional performances by all, the great chemistry between the characters, and the skilled way the script handles … Starring Juno Temple, June Squibb, Justin Timberlake and Ryder Allen. Where the film does briefly come almost alive is in its positioning of Sam, a boy who’s more comfortable playing with toys traditionally intended for girls and, when allowed, dressing that way too. Singer Justin Timberlake returns to the movies on Apple TV+ in the engaging "Palmer," a Louisiana-set drama about an ex-con who becomes an unlikely father figure. Apple TV+ makes an awards bid with the well-meaning Palmer, a drama of recovery, change and tolerance. Within the first 15 or so minutes of Apple TV+’s Palmer, something clicks in, a feeling of overwhelming familiarity, an inner voice quietly realising, “Ohhh, it’s that movie.” In this particular instance, that movie being the one about the ex-con who must make good with the help of a cute kid, a sturdy tale oft-told. It would have been understandable, and perhaps merciful, if Timberlake had decided to call it quits as a non-Trolls actor after his mortifyingly miscast turn as a sailor turned lifeguard who dreams of being a playwright in Woody Allen’s equally misjudged Wonder Wheel. Yes, the plot is too predictable for such a well-worn premise. AppleTV’s Palmer is a story of acceptance, compassion and unlikely friendships. Justin Timberlake stars as an ex-convict who interrogates his gender biases after he comes to care for a young boy in this prosaic melodrama. Palmer is a series of downers with intimate flashes of happiness, but it's enough to keep everyone rooting for the three main leads in the film.