ASLEEP IN MY PALM “Review”

Taking on some of rural Ohio’s deepest, darkest corners of the state, Asleep In My Palm does an above-average job at attempting to capture the landscape of its location, but is truly elevated by a captivating performance from Tim Blake Nelson.

The film revolves around a father named Tom (Blake Nelson) who is living off of the grid in a small storage facility with his daughter Beth Anne. The two seem to have a close relationship despite being, basically, homeless. Tom steals bikes for money to help support his daughter and himself, but things get out of control when some unfortunate things get out of hand, things go awry.

The film itself seems quite simplistic in its storytelling and may not cover as much ground as audiences would think when talking about something as heavy-handed as a father taking care of his daughter and it does need a touch-up on that front.

However, Nelson’s performance proves to be something of a remarkable feat for the actor as he stretches his chops into more dramatic territory under the guise of this independent feature flick. He balances a soft and caring father with a propensity to do what’s best for his daughter.

The film does, in fact, suffer from an ill-conceived ending that leaves a lot of people scratching their heads rather than leaving them heart-felt, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a bad movie. It still has a certain realism and awe that leaves its viewers in great awe for its rural authenticity.

All in all, this film suffers from some unanswered questions, but is still bracketed by a powerful performance from Nelson.