The Hawk Is Dying
Dir: Julian Goldberger
2006
*****
Not much has been written about Julian Goldberger's 2006 film The Hawk Is Dying but then not many people saw it. What is written isn't particularly positive which puzzles and frustrates me in equal measure. Paul Giamatti gives the best performance of his career and possibly the best performance of 2006. His performance completely absorbs the audience into following him and highlighting aspects of his character and the overall message, that I think many people missed. Giamatti plays George, a man who we are told finds it extremely hard to express his emotions. When his nephew dies unexpectedly, he goes into an obsessive meltdown while his family and friends watch on worriedly. The point of the film isn't how unnatural or stunted George is, it is how unnatural everyone else is in displaying (or not displaying) their grief. The film very cleverly and very subtly shows us the madness in others while we follow what we are told is mad but in truth is nothing more than natural. It's heaped in symbolism but never preaches or pretends to be anything more than it is. In my opinion, it's one of the best films of the decade and hopefully in time more people will agree with me. Crash won the Oscar in 2006 for best picture, Giamatti was nominated for best supporting actor for his role in Cinderella Man and Michelle Williams for hers in Brokeback Mountain. They should have all won for The Hawk Is Dying.