He doesn’t pretend to be captain weird, he just does what he does. At least that’s how Johnny Depp has characterized himself in the past, reminding us of such diverse and abstract roles such as ‘Edward Scissor Hands’, ‘Sweeney Todd’, and of course the globally famous ‘Jack Sparrow’. With his career consisting of essentially never really knowing what to expect, The Professor gives us a chance to see a somewhat dialled back version of Depp.
With a very fresh filmmaker at the helm, director Wayne Roberts gives us an outlet to examine Depp in a light we don’t usually get to see him in: that is to say, almost normal. Almost. Normally known for the opposite of ordinary, Depp plays an ordinary college professor who’s just received news from his doctor that he has a terminal illness. Now, almost all of us can relate to this in one way or another. We hear of a friend, a relative, a colleague, or just some person we once knew, who is on the verge of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. There’s nothing that can be done. There can be treatment, but it’ll only give you a bit more time. They can make you “comfortable” in your last days. Etc. Etc. Etc. Nothing most of us haven’t heard before. Though imagine being on the other end of the stick. Perhaps some of you have been, or currently are. That in mind, Depp’s performance gives us the chance to explore that scenario. Facing certain death, we have the chance to witness the professor let go of all inhibition and maybe even for the first time in his life, really live. Relationships are broken, some are repaired, new ones are ignited, and others are left where they were and otherwise unchanged. Time is of the essence, so therefore none can be wasted. No indulgence can nor should be denied. No substance is too potent, no beverage too alcoholic, no person too straight or gay, and no experience is off the table. There is no “no”, there is only YES. Nothing is off limits. As the song goes, he certainly lives like he is dying. In this particular circumstance, Tim McGraw would be proud.
Depp is not alone on this journey. He is in fact surrounded by a plethora of seasoned performers that help get us there. Of the rest of the cast, Odessa Young, Danny Huston and Zoey Deutch come to mind as major standouts. Odessa playing the daughter, we also get to see brief struggles of her own whilst keeping our eye on the ball. Zoey adds a nice bit of layer to the plot in her role as a student who, along with just a few others, decide they’d like to stay in class with a professor who seems to be a bit ‘off’ and even just a little mysterious. Danny Huston who is certainly known for his diversity is given just enough screen time to make his impression, and most definitely shares an energetic chemistry with our star of the show in playing his best friend and colleague.
The Professor isn’t so bleak a film that one finds themselves in agony the entire way through as the synopsis would likely have you expect.
A purely character driven film, this movie obviously excludes exotic sets, CGI, or special effects that have you staring in amazement, though it can and will keep your attention. The characters are very real, relatable, and vulnerable. In viewing a film like this we are reminded of what it is to be human, and it’s inspiring enough to have us all question our own life and humanity. If at the end of the movie you’re not thinking about your own struggles, the pettiness of things we call “first world problems”, pondering change, or at the very least even taking the time to put yourself in the same situation just to imagine how you would handle it… well, you most likely had your head in your phone while it was playing.
The Professor isn’t so bleak a film that one finds themselves in agony the entire way through as the synopsis would likely have you expect. If you find it humorous then it was probably meant to be funny, so, laugh. It’s alright. Crying, well, that’s ok too, but for the most part we can probably leave that to the actors seeing as they are getting paid to feel. Love it or hate it, we can all take note from this film: Live like each day is your last. We hope you enjoy.
