Amazon Holiday

Friday, June 18, 2010

Cyrus


Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A desperate man (John C. Reilly) meets the woman of his dreams (Marisa Tomei) and finds out that she has a grown son (Jonah Hill) who doesn't want to share her.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei, Catherine Keener, Matt Walsh

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketGo! It's small, intimate, short, and not particularly complex, but winning in all its simplicity.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Be warned, this is more of a dramedy than a comedy. This grouping of highly talented comedic actors get to show off their dramatic acting chops in between the rare but strong zingers.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I went in with definite opinions about who a parent should favor between their lover and their child in step-relationships, and this movie got me questioning what the right balance is. So I do feel a little sad about having my opinions shaken... But then again, the mother-son relationship seen here is extremely unusual, and not in a good way.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Definitely the Independent Spirit Awards. I would wager on 3 acting noms, a best screenplay, best feature, and possibly even a directing nomination.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Every one of the actors rises above expectation in this piece. And some of them started out pretty high in the expectations department, to begin with.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Jay and Mark Duplass have always been regarded as innovative directors in the indy scene, so it's interesting to see that they're still reinventing their style with little quirks like showing the actors not talking as we hear them talk. While the technique works surprisingly well, it still looks to me like an editing choice born out of necessity when they realized that they didn't have the footage they needed to tell the story they'd hoped for.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There is a raw, lack of subtlety in their dialogue that is at once refreshing and totally unrealistic... Unless you were to enter an alternate universe where everyone completely forgot how to silence the rude and off-putting parts of their inner monologue. Like France.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Despite the green light, the movie has a number of notable flaws. First, I didn't see the reason for the great love that these two people supposedly share, outside of the fact that they're both weird and desperate. And why, after 7 years, is the main character still so co-dependent with his ex-wife, that he confides everything in her, and she tries to set him up with new women?

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/cyrus/10023901/trailers

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1 comment:

Reel Whore said...

This opens here in a couple of weeks. I'm hoping it will revitalize my opinion of Jonah Hill. He's becoming bothersome to me.