Finishing off our independent cinema day comes another movie that’s playing almost nowhere in Alabama (if you don’t live in Birmingham). I know this is getting frustrating guys, and I don’t much like reading about great movies I can’t watch yet either, but maybe these reviews will inspire people to see these films down the road. This movie in particular deserves to be viewed. It’s the very definition of a “sleeper” success, as I was originally so non-enthused about seeing it, that I almost didn’t, but am now very glad I did.
What Works: The advertising for this movie makes it look like Jason Siegel is a pot-smoking loser who lives with his mother (Susan Sarandon) and she threatens to kick him out unless he gets motivated while Ed Helms plays his more successful brother whose personal life isn’t so great. This is maybe twenty percent of what the movie is about, while the rest is a much richer, more ambitious film that’s actually about people’s personal connections. The movie starts off laughing at Siegel’s Jeff, as he mumbles about possible, hidden signs that guide us everywhere, but it gradually deepens into something more open that accepts that maybe he’s right to be following the signs everyone else is ignoring. Plus, the movie is funnier than I just made it sound in addition to being well-acted (I never thought I’d enjoy an Ed Helms performance this much) and has a near-perfect ending.
What Doesn’t Work: Although Susan Sarandon is a great actress, and she does the best she can with this role, there’s no denying that her storyline—-an office secret admirer who likes her but ends in a little too open a fashion—-is the least compelling of the three, and the movie is on firmer ground when following the mismatched brothers on their daylong “quest.” Still, it’s hard to nitpick a small gem like this, when I really just want people to check it out instead of “Mirror Mirror” or some other horse shit you just know is going to suck.
What I Would Have Done Differently: As I said right above, why nitpick this movie? It has a funny opening, a great ending, and a lot of quality scenes in the middle. It’s the kind of movie that makes me feel great to be alive when I leave the theater, and I don’t say that very often.