Happythankyoumoreplease (2011)

Finally got to see this movie, How I Met Your Mother star Josh Radnor, as that trailer says, wrote, directed and starred in. And I can say it was at least as good, maybe better than I expected.

On the surface, it almost sounded a bit like HIMYM

imdb says:

Captures a generational moment - young people on the cusp of truly growing up, tiring of their reflexive cynicism, each in their own ways struggling to connect and define what it means to love and be loved.

but Radnor and the story isn't incredibly similar to his character and the situation he's in, in the tv show he's known for.

Radnor's character Sam Wexler (which by the way, is a name movies/tv seem to like to use more often than I'd expect. See The TV Set for example), one day on the subway sees a boy abandoned by his (Foster) mother. So he feels compelled to help the boy out by looking for his mother. The problem is, the boy doesn't want to go back to his mother or Foster family.

So, the boy hangs with Sam for a long portion of the movie. Sam's friends and daily activities end up encountering him with this boy, who we eventually learn is named Rasheen.

The women in Sam's life included. The weird thing is, the way Sam is watching over the boy is not seen by the women in his life as admirable really. The women being 2 friends who are women (Malin Akerman and Zoe Kazan), and a woman he meets with Rasheen and eventually proposes not a 1-night stand, but a 3-night contract.

Maybe it's trying to avoid being predictable or cliche, but the women see Sam's companionship with Rasheen as irresponsible almost. Although the girl he's having the 3-night stand into 1-week "playing house," whose name is Mississippi actually (Kate Mara), is told originally by Sam, that he is the "Big Brother" to the boy he's with. So she had extra motivation to find the situation irresponsible given Sam lied to her about what the boy really was doing with him.

But in a lot of ways, what Sam is doing is actually admirable. I mean c'mon, a boy needs help, Sam helps him. The boy isn't his responsibility, but he decides to help the boy out anyway. But he never says to these women, namely Mississippi, "what was I supposed to do?" It's sort of a self-conscience thing. Anyone with a heart and reasonable, rational, considerate personality would want to help a boy abandoned by his mother out, right?

But the actual depiction of events and dialog never really asks that question fully. Maybe Radnor didn't want to, I'm not sure. But watching it and seeing the situation, I couldn't help but do so myself. The Sam character really does nothing wrong with Rasheen, but it isn't quite portrayed that way. Especially when he goes to the Foster care office, and then ultimately is arrested.

However, it is well transitioned in the end. Maybe it's a little bit of a Hollywood happy ending feel, but I follow why the arrest and what transpires afterward happens in the end.

The other characters stories are interesting enough. Relationships basically. Malin Ackmerman's character Annie has Alopecia (she has no hair, at least on her head), and has her issues with the men in her life. Radnor it appears is her best friend who she goes to for advice about them. This guy at her work also named Sam (Sam #2, played by Tony Hale from Chuck) likes her, but it's understandable why she isn't too into him.

But eventually she does go out with him, a little bit on a rebound from trying to forget about her Ex. And while Sam #2 isn't always charming, there are some points where he appears a lot more appealing than you'd expect.

Zoe Kazan's character Mary Catherine is in a situation with her boyfriend Charlie (Pablo Schreiber) who wants to move to LA to go into business with a friend. But Mary Catherine doesn't want to leave New York City, and also finds out something she is hesitant to tell him about.

Both their relationship and Annie's status are supporting, but not incredibly different than a lot of plots you see in Romantic Comedies/Dramedies. But for what they are, they add enough to the story.

I guess my take is with Radnor, I've always enjoyed him on How I Met Your Mother, and been curious what he may be able to do, even just in other comedic work, and this movie does support his ability. He's one of those actors whose interesting to watch and hear speak. I'm not sure how else to describe it. Is it a man-crush? I don't think so :p, but I definitely enjoy watching him work and would certainly be interested to see him in more things (whether that be new movies or tv shows, or stuff from his past I've never seen).

As well with the kid, played by Michael Algieri, who I could not get past how much he reminds me of the kid who plays the Jabbar character on NBC's Parenhood (Tyree Brown).

I also might add the soundtrack is nice, including a couple of tunes from Cloud Cult. Being a CC fan, I can always be on board with that.

Plus in the credits, I noticed among the actors who helped read (auditioned?) for this, Ari Graynor, Sarah Chalke (on the set of HIMYM perhaps?), Jordana Spiro, Jenna Fischer, Jennifer Morrison and Eddie Kay Thomas, which was interesting.

Movie of the Year? no. But certainly one of the better movies I've seen recently with good dialog; but pretty puzzling as to why Lagoon Theater pulled it. Likely due to money, but it's sad given I think it's a movie more people would like and should be able to see. Maybe later this year with any luck.

77/100

The Exploding Girl (2010)

This movie I noticed nominated at the Independent Spirit Awards a few weeks ago, and namely the scene where Zoe Kazan's character says to Mark Rendall's character "do you want to have my babies" got me curious.

Zoe Kazan, is awfully cute. Hmm, maybe even I should say, I would have no ability to resist lusting after her. And given the fact she stars in this, and the way it looked, I was totally optimistic about this movie.

The premise, like Tiny Furniture focuses on a girl in her late teens/early 20's, trying to figure out what to do with her life. She is in college, although the movie is set during a break.

Ivy (Kazan), has this friend from college named Al. I don't recall if they knew each other for many years, or just from college. But what happens is, he can't stay with his parents (they conveniently for the story, rented out his room. How often does that happen?), so he stays with Ivy's family.

Ivy has a boyfriend who she keeps trying to call, and rarely gets a hold of. The boyfriend I guess is staying back at school? or maybe he went back to his hometown during this break from school. I forget. The point is, they are not together, and she doesn't seem to be receiving the attention from him, like she is giving him.

And meanwhile, she hangs out with Al, and they do seem to grow close. But it's amazing how the story doesn't have them go anywhere really, on a romantic level, even though on-screen it seems almost obvious they should. He likes her, and she definitely likes him.

A few other points about Ivy being that she has epilepsy. While I'm not sure this fact plays that big a part in the story, it is one thing that adds to her character's subtle/subdued approach to her life.

I read an interview with Zoe Kazan after watching it this weekend, and she talked a lot about how Ivy hides her emotions pretty well. Because I've seen many examples of characters who melt down or even over-emote, going through those kind of emotional experiences. Her boyfriend ultimately breaks up with her, and her relationship with her mother being a bit distant I guess.

I appreciate that to a point, although I am sucker for a (beautiful) girl showing (human) emotion. And Mark Rendall's character Al, is rather fancy-free and happy-go-lucky, so she could easily have shown that to him. And actually, the crying scene outside, or the scene with the seizure I suppose she did to a point.

But overall, she ends up hiding a lot of the emo-side that you come to almost expect from someone that age (especially women).

I kind of felt a tad disappointed in this movie, in what I got from Zoe. But I suppose that's maybe a bit harsh. But like Tiny Furniture, I think it didn't quite capture everything I got from Funny Haha a few years ago. That sympathetic, introspective, seeing-myself-in-the-character element. To a point, I guess, but not as clearly or deeply in this movie.

However, Zoe Kazan and Mark Rendall are 2 actors I want to keep an eye out for. Zoe especially, as not only is she extremely easy on the eyes, but she does show some range here (just not the kind of range I yearned for I guess :p).

Also the fact I liked her in Me and Orson Welles, along with wanting to see things like The Private Lives of Pippa Lee and Bored to Death the tv series, my interest in her work continues to grow (despite any issues some may have with her Hollywood nepotism).

Also I just realized how much she reminds of, in some photos, of Alessandra Torresani (from Caprica). The two of them could play sisters, easily.

Mark Rendall does need to play Jeff Buckley in Mystery White Boy assuming it gets made before he's too old, because he's like a splitting image of him. And apparently he's a musician (you hear a clip of him in this movie even).

75/100

2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards: Afterthoughts

I was looking-to do some kind of DotM for these and/or the Academy Awards for tomorrow. And, I may still, I'm kind of playing it by ear right now. I did post some thoughts which I'm sure would have been at least partially rehashed in said DotM, here when the nominations were announced.

But stuff like the breakup of Oceansize and lacking in energy/motivation etc, had me do some other activities the past couple of days. Also, I was hoping to find on youtube, some clips from past shows, namely the year Sarah Silverman hosted. And I found some stuff from that year on youtube, but not the pre-recorded "backstage" part which probably was my favorite thing of the whole show. Namely the quote "Man-Push-Cart....Who-Give-Shit."

No dice, nor from the Rainn Wilson or Samuel L Jackson hosted awards shows.

So, that kind of led me to stop. And then before I knew it, the show was about to air. My plans to see the Gael Garcia-Bernal picture Even the Rain today (which opened at the Uptown Theater yesterday) along with The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra double-cd-release show at The Loring Theater got killed mainly due to snow+sub-zero temps outside and lack of desire to determine which side of the street to park on in Minneapolis in order to avoid a Snow-Emergency parking ticket (or towing).

And in both events cases, I will have more opportunity to see them in the coming weeks.

So, I just finished watching the Joel McHale edition of the Spirit Awards, and I can say, it was certainly better/funnier than 2010's Eddie Izzard snoozer. But I would still say the show hasn't returned to the jaw dropping hilarity it had a few years ago. I guess we'll see next year if it may.

-The winners: Winter's Bone, The Kids Are All Right and Black Swan all did well. Black Swan probably more than I or many expected. I haven't seen it, but the more I hear or read about it, I'm not sure I want to (despite having Mila Kunis and her hook up briefly :p). I get why Natalie Portman won, and probably will win tomorrow night at the Academy Awards, but it kind of speaks to people voting-for roles that are the most difficult, rather than the most moving/impact-ful.



-5 or 10 years from now, will Portman's performance in that be looked-to the way Jennifer Lawrence's was in Winter's Bone ? I would question that. But then again, I feel the best female performance I saw on film was not even Lawrence's but Katie Jarvis in Fishtank. It's also odd how Lawrence basically made Winter's Bone, and doesn't win, yet John Hawkes and Dale Dickey both did win. But that can be looked at as much for competition or lack-of, as quality of the performance.

-Also one thing Portman said in her acceptance speech, about *never* coming to them before. Am I forgetting, or was she not there when Garden State got nominated (and won?). I know Zack Braff was.

-Why was the stage slicked down with water or whatever else? Comedic effect? the idea might have been okay for like 1 segment/section of the show, but it just became an annoying hazard.

-Please Give won the Robert Altman award, which is all well and fine, as I do like people involved with that film, but I cannot forget about how after a lot of buzz at Sundance and the previews and interviews got me rather excited to see it; but then I left rather underwhelmed by it. And Catherine Keener has been on a roll for me pretty much over the last decade, but I can say this was my least favorite of all the movies I've seen her in.

-Exit Through the Gift Shop winning didn't come as a surprise to me, and I was happy to see it and presumably the main creator behind it, in Thierry Guetta up on stage accepting the award and (trying to) give some kind of inspirational speech. However, when he said "everything is real..everything in this film is real" I wonder a bit if a lot of the skeptical comments about *how real* the whole thing was. I imagine somewhere online there's some decent investigative work about how accurate it is, and how much may be fabricated for the film ala Michael Moore in a lot ways.

-Plus, the lack of stuff like No One Knows About Persian Cats and even Catfish still bugs me about the list. But between those 3, Exit Through the Gift Shop was the best.

-The way they had The King's Speech not only get nominated, but win, for Best Foreign Film is another head scratcher. Is it "independent"? I'm not sure. Is it even really "foreign"? technically, I suppose yes, but given it won at the Globes and SAG's, and is nominated for a number of awards at the Oscars tomorrow night, makes it even being included and in that category seem far-fetched.

-Seeing Ewan McGregor there, like Gael Garcia-Bernal in 2007 (when The Science of Sleep got no love from any of the Awards shows including the IFPs), just strikes me as overlooked and forgotten with The Ghost Writer. Now the budget thing may seem that point be moot, but it's difficult at times for me to watch these awards shows, seeing these movies and stars win awards, when I know very well that a movie like The Ghost Writer should be recognized and is a much better movie than a lot of them.

-What the hell was Kate Walsh doing there? Was she in or involved with a movie that got nominated? no. And I suppose for that matter, Tae Diggs. I didn't realize the Spirit Awards are now opening their seating for major network tv casts as well, lol.

-The voting process: well I recall learning about it a few years back. And I certainly would be interested in voting if I could. But from memory, you have to pay.

-edit:  this link explains
$95 for a membership. Okay? uh, I love small movies and support them however I can, but in order to vote for these things, it costs me nearly $100? sorry. I'd pay $15 perhaps. Maybe that $95 goes towards more than just the ability to vote for them, but I wonder what . I'd love to believe more, such as ability to bring more smaller movies to town, even if it were a 1-night or 1-weekend thing.

-I can't forget that, along the lines of lacking the in-town screening, 2010's show exposed me to 1 of my favorite movies I saw in the last 12 months, in Easier With Practice. And among the list of titles nominated I was unfamiliar with, I checked out a few trailers, and 1 I even got to see, the yet-to-be-reviewed Tiny Furniture, which I saw a few weeks ago at St.Anthony Main.

-However, while I liked Tiny Furniture (and Lena Dunham won an award for it tonight, best 1st Screenplay I think?..but that award was only mentioned by John Waters and not shown pathetically. WTF IFC?..your show is supposed to be the show that includes the little guy, right? wtf is up with not showing Lena Dunham winning?..maybe she wasn't there?). I don't know if I'd regard it at Easier With Practice's level. But, there's another movie that was nominated, but didn't win, called The Exploding Girl, which has Mark Rendall (who should play Jeff Buckley) and Zoe Kazan, that looks potentially rather good. And I am likely to see rather soon, hehe.

-And I recall liking Zoe Kazan in a few things recently, namely Me and Orson Welles. And well, there's a few reasons to want to see her in anything, after seeing a few clips from Revolutionary Road, hehe.

All in all, slightly better, but not entirely one of the better years for the IFPs again. But, I still look to them more than the Globes and Oscars for the heart of my taste in movies.