Tommy John
Having an Episode
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8m 57s
A baseball player’s press conference about a season ending injury devolves into an existential breakdown. “Tommy John,” directed by Alex Goldberg, is a darkly comedic ride through the fractured psyche of a baseball star. What begins as your average sports press conference hits a tailspin when Jose Hernandez not only reveals major news about his physical health, but also a series of increasingly unhinged declarations about his mental state. “Inside of me, there is a hole,” he insists, before going into vivid detail of the meaninglessness of his life, a perpetual cycle of malls, churches, and dance clubs (soul-killing experiences at each — searching for food courts, endless baptisms, one-night stands, etc). As he sinks further into the void, Goldberg’s film expands its visual palette, mimicking club lights or dappled confessional rooms, and gets a great performance from Jaime Zevallos in full meltdown mode. It’s an inspired send-up of the sports presser format, where you would typically expect composure, emotional distance, and no personal revelation, turning it on its head for an inside look into a damaged subconscious spilling into public view.
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