Nebraska (Alexander Payne, 2013)

9/10
I've been relatively lukewarm on Alexander Payne's movies (at least the last 3 he did, the only ones I've seen) but I felt like The Descendants was a marked step up, and now Nebraska is the best thing he's done by far. His previous movies were all sort of tinging humor with heartbreak but he never nails the mood better than he does here. It's equally hilarious and tragic, thanks in no small part to Bruce Dern, who is absolutely sensational in a terribly moving character. The movie is simple, well-written and quietly devastating. Maybe it lays its cards out a little too plainly and doesn't offer a whole lot in the way of surprises or mystery, but it doesn't really need to either. It's straightforward, honest, resonates emotionally, and contains way fewer cliches than I've used here. Very highly recommended.