For Ellen

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  • Opened September 5, 2012 (NY)
  • 1 hr 33 min
  • Aspiring rock star Joby Taylor (Paul Dano) has wanted nothing more than to “make it”, having flirted with fame but never crossed over into true success. In the midst of a low period in his life, he agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva) in order to see money from the sale of their home, only to discover that by signing the papers, he will forfeit all custody of his six-year-old daughter, Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo). With a good-natured lawyer (Jon Heder) unable to make headway in reversing the decision, and a girlfriend (Jena Malone) that represents an era of his life that he might be ready to graduate from, Joby negotiates a visit with his daughter to explore whether he is able to walk away from his child, and whether it might be too late for reconciliation. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Paul Dano, Jon Heder, Jena Malone, Margarita Levieva, Shaylena Mandigo
  • Director: So Yong Kim
  • Genres: Drama

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Critic Reviews

91
indieWIRE
| Eric Kohn

Nobody else could fit the role of a crestfallen rocker that Paul Dano embodies in director So Yong Kim's remarkable For Ellen. Read full review

88
Chicago Sun-Times
| Roger Ebert

This performance, unlike anything Paul Dano has ever done, must have required some courage. It requires an actor to cast aside all conceits of performance, presence, charisma and even timing. Read full review

63
Boston Globe
| Ty Burr

It has a sense of drift that both vexes and beguiles. Read full review

63
Slant Magazine
|

So Yong Kim's direction remains ruminative, even poetic, in its pacing, its sense of place, and its approach to intimacy, but this is her most unsuitable script. Read full review

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Paul Dano in "For Ellen."