Review: Causeway

Directed by: Lila Neugebauer

Written by: Ottessa Moshfegh, Luke Goebel, Elizabeth Sanders

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond, Jayne Houdyshell

Rating: [3/5]

Finding the right person at the right time can make all the difference in someone’s life, whether through a conversation shared or a bond created. Films displaying this show how much impact we can have on each other’s lives even when not in it for a long period of time. Causeway embodies just that as it operates on a small scale but utilizes it to delve deeply into its two lead characters making for an enriching film. 

Back in her hometown of New Orleans as she recovers and awaits clearance for redeployment for her military position, Lynsey (Jennifer Lawrence) reckons with being in a place she does not hold much love for. This requires her to be near a mother she has an estranged relationship with. When her vehicle needs work, she meets mechanic James (Brian Tyree Henry), and the two bond over their life experiences, the issues they face, and ultimately how they can help each other. 

For an actor with the pull to consistently work with colossal budgets, Jennifer Lawrence always impresses with the projects she elects for her career. She’ll take on these blockbuster projects but also something like Causeway that does not strive to have these otherworldy aspirations but rather tell an emotionally fulfilling story of two individuals who needed each other’s presence more than they could have ever imagined. The two leads have each suffered through their independent lives, but they need each other now to help provide a healing they could not attain on their own. 

Lynsey’s particular struggle comes from wanting to get redeployed but needing a doctor to clear her before she could receive her orders. This leaves her in a perpetual state of trying to confirm she’s okay to continue. A difficult hill to climb given her progress in physical therapy and the impairments that will stick with her for the rest of her life. This rush for redeployment does not necessarily lie with desperately putting herself in harm’s way again but rather trying to stay away from home and all of the bad memories that it comes with. 

This disconnection with New Orleans makes the friendship she builds with James all the more important as he tries to build this stability for her. He represents something that could make her stay, but he wrestles with his own demons. Just like Lynsey wants to run away from New Orleans, James must contend with the impairments from his car accident, but as we learn later, that incident harmed him in more ways than just the physical. Therefore, these two souls find each other through sheer happenstance and confide in each other in a way they find difficult to others. The true power of the film lies in these difficult but healing conversations helped along by two great lead performances. 

Jennifer Lawrence has long succeeded in these emotionally potent roles and, unsurprisingly, succeeds once again in her portrayal of Lynsey. There’s a quiet pain simmering under the surface for this character that makes itself prominent sparingly throughout the film. Lawrence internalizes it so well but then smashes it when the high-impact moments arrive. She pairs so well with Brian Tyree Henry, who then outshines her in this role as James. The role of James contains a deeper vulnerability as he reckons with the mistakes he has made and how he has found himself in this particular situation. Henry delivers some incredible work here as James and serves an incredible scene partner with Lawrence’s Lynsey as they propel this story forward through the tenderness and honesty they share between them. 

Does its job and does not overstay its welcome; Causeway brings together two actors putting in some great work, allowing for a first-time director, Lila Neugebauer, to add her own flourishes as well. New Orleans feels like a special city in this film not only in its presentation visually but also the way it gets spoken about by these two characters. It allows audiences to look back at their hometown and interrogate their feelings about it, whether they be positive or negative. I could not help but do that myself. Small in scale but with a big heart, this film deserves plenty of praise for what it accomplishes.