With a pair of perfectly calibrated performances from Segel and Eisenberg, End of the Tour both entertains and inspires introspection as it combines a cerebral thoughtfulness with rich character chemistry and genuine, human, warmth.

The Margulies-penned script is simply brilliant, with the razor-sharp dialogue providing many quietly powerful little character moments – it’s a joy to watch the intellectually gifted pair trade both wisdom and insult in their game (and sometimes war) of minds.

Furthermore, the poetically bleak landscapes are scored to perfection with Elfman’s beautiful and sparse post-classical score, and an inspired Brian Eno musical cue closes things with poignancy.

Featuring some of the best dialogue scenes you’ll see this year, The End of the Tour is a fascinating and utterly absorbing sparring of minds – Segel is a mini revelation.

RATING: 4/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Jason Segel, Jesse Eisenberg, Joan Cusack, Anna Chlumsky

DIRECTOR: James Ponsoldt

WRITER: Donald Margulies

SYNOPSIS: The story of the five-day interview between Rolling Stone writer David Lipsky (Eisenberg) and the acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace (Segel), which took place after the release of Wallace’s masterpiece Infinite Jest.

The End of the Tour was screened as part of the Journey Gala at the 2015 London Film Festival.