THE PARTS YOU LOSE: Bides Its Time

In Christopher Cantwell’s slow burn of a thriller, The Parts You Lose, we’re centered on Wesley (Danny Murphy) and the relationship he builds with an unnamed fugitive played by Aaron Paul. It’s a modest character study that’s strength lies in the smaller, intimate moments, even if the suspense eventually tapers off.

A Lonely Boy, A Desperate Man

Wesley is deaf, and can’t verbalize his despair, but it’s clear his home and school life are not ideal. Or at the very least, it’s better before his father returns. His dad (Scoot Mcnairy) seems impatient with Wesley, doesn’t bother to learn sign language and is quick to turn aggressive. His mother, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, has a gentler and understanding touch.
One day, when he finds a wounded Paul, he brings him to their barn, stowing him away. He’s an inquisitive kid, and his facial expressions and genuine emotion make it easy to understand him without speaking. Murphy conveys a lot throughout the film, and this troubled boy seeking some sort of connection, finds it.

There’s a bit of a montage where we see Aaron Paul getting back to health, training, recuperating. Wesley watches Paul with increased curiosity, with the interest going both ways. It’s not obvious how much time has passed, but the two begin playing games and spending more time together. When he loses in a game of checkers, he becomes upset, but -in one of a few mentor-like moments- Paul tells him “You win when you win.”

When he finds out Wesley is being bullied at school, he shows him a trick using change and a thermos, with the advice to swing his backpack the next time they try to pick on him. Well, he doesn’t resort to the violence (which I thought was a smart reservation) but instead stands his ground and the bully leaves.
Their companionship blossoms for both, despite some curt moments. They share in laughter, he even learns some sign language, and the stranger genuinely seems to care when he sees Wesley’s been hurt by his father.

Not A Happy Story

However, things are increasingly becoming more dangerous and it’s obvious that this isn’t going to last. As the walls seem to close in around them, there is no misconception with this film of a “happy” ending. As the search for Paul, who barely got away after a robbery, becomes bigger, officers come to the house and one seems to be especially suspicious of Wesley.

We don’t learn a lot about Paul’s character, though he has a few moments of vulnerability. At one point he tells Wesley about the daughter he has that is his age. The slender script by Darren Lemke leans heavily on the lead performances, which, luckily, are enough to sustain. Winstead gives a wholesome portrayal, even if she isn’t a significant part of the film, while Mcnairy is stuck in one-note for its entirety.

At times the film feels adrift, but it is tied with some wonderful cinematography, making us feel the remote Midwest scenery in our bones. Maybe there’s a purposeful correlation between the loneliness displayed and the drawling pace. The coloring of the film matches the low sun, and the cold temperatures, making much of the film (spent in a barn) a refuge, for both characters.
I was never uninterested, but I was also never challenged as a viewer. Parts doesn’t illuminate us on the gray area of right and wrong, but it does provide us an isolated, moody look at a young boy’s relationship with a fugitive and his own dissection of this parable, and just for that – I’ll take it.

Conclusion: The Parts You Lose

The film is really about the relationship between this unlikely pair, and the fractured look at the father and son dynamic. Wesley hasn’t had much experience with kindness, and while his relationship with his mother and little sister are good, his loneliness speaks volumes even if he’s unable to. Danny Murphy is especially riveting, keeping this story afloat. The Parts You Lose is a thoughtful if not meager meditation on the relationships that define us.

What did you think? Did the movie make an impact? Let us know in the comments below!

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