The End of the Tour 2015 ****

Making a movie about the late David Foster Wallace is a daunting proposition, and it seems that the author’s estate’s unhappiness with the End of the Tour stopped it from reaching an audience. That’s a shame, because James Ponsoldt’s film is a genuine and provocative look at writing, the creative process and friendship. Jesse Eisenberg plays Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky, who requests an interview with Wallace after the publication of Infinite Jest, and is surprised when it’s granted. Jason Segel makes the most of Wallace’s eccentricities, but the author’s legacy is in no way diminished by the comedy. Seen as an unauthorized account of Wallace, The End of the Tour is a fascinating piece of work; when so many authorized biographies whitewash and conceal, Ponsoldt’s honest drama attempts to get to the core of Wallace as a person, and should spur a few cineastes to read his work.