'Columbus' A Review

Columbus is a meditative drama about two people who meet in architectural point of interest Columbus, IN. Jin(John Cho) is in town after his architect father goes into a coma. He meets Casey(Haley Lu Richardson), a young local woman interested in architecture but constrained by her relationship with her recovering addict mother. The two explore Columbus and its various structures learning from and finding solace in each other.

Cho is quiet, vulnerable, and compelling. He doesn't shed the magnetic charm he's consistently displayed in some of his bigger budget fare but the performance is smaller, more realistic, understated. I would guess as close to himself as Cho has ever played. It seems clear he relishes the opportunity to play a more nuanced interpretive character and he excels. Richardson has dimension and emotes but never at the expense of reality, there is a lived-in natural quality to her performance that anchors the film, provides authenticity. The two have good chemistry and there is a lot of pleasure in simply watching the two walk and talk. The supporting turns also have the same grounded yet engaging quality with good turns from Parker Posey, Michelle Forbes, and Rory Culkin.

The cinematography is the other star. The interesting cityscape and interiors are filmed in such a way to enhance the ideas of form and space discussed within the dialogue. There are some striking and beautiful shots throughout the film that almost surpass the story in their arresting grace. The only fault of the film is the occasional false note with the script, the fault doesn't fall to the performers its just the a periodic slip into melodrama that rings slightly false when put into the modern, sleek, minimalist surroundings.

Simple and elegant, inspiring and reflective.

See It.