Tag: Mark Duplass

LAFF 2012 : PEOPLE LIKE US

Alex Kurtzman brings his life to the big screen in the very honest PEOPLE LIKE US.

Chris Pine plays Sam Harper (based on Kurtzman), a trade negotiator living a fast paced life on the East Coast. When his father, a well-respected mogul in the music business, passes away, Sam must return home for the funeral, whether he wants to or not. Estranged from his father, Sam wants to get in and out of town as quickly as possible, but before he leaves he must settle his father’s estate. What Sam didn’t see coming was that his father had a secret life. He had another family. Now, Sam struggles with getting to know his sister Frankie (Elizabeth Banks) without her knowing who he is, along with figuring out his own crumbling life.

I really enjoyed this film. It’s refreshing to see a movie about a dysfunctional family that doesn’t shove their broken problems down your throat. Instead, we get real, intimate characters and a dynamic, interesting drama that feels genuine. Chris Pine is wonderful as Sam. He plays the role with a perfect balance of charm, confusion, and pain. Elizabeth Banks always seems to surprise me. Her character, Frankie, has not had an easy life, and Banks does an excellent job of conveying how hard life has been while still showing a strong, confident side. Her sarcasm and humor only add to such a well-rounded character. Michelle Pfeiffer is wonderful as Sam’s mother. There were some very tough issues that her character had to deal with, and Pfeiffer knocked it out of the park. Her scenes with Pine are intense and raw. The two do a great job of showing their characters fighting through their issues while still showing love through the pain. Of course, we can’t forget Michael Hall D’Addario, who plays Frankie’s rebellious son Josh. D’Addario is definitely one to watch. He’s incredibly funny and charming onscreen, and shows a wide array of emotions. I was really impressed!

Kurtzman does a great job of telling this story, which is loosely based on his life. It took him 8 years to get the film made, and the end product really showcases the time and effort put in. As dysfunctional as things are, and as painful as they may be, the message of the film is clear… it’s the importance of family.

As Sam and Frankie get to know each other, it’s pretty obvious that Sam will wait as long as possible before telling Frankie who he is . At the same time, I can forgive the predictability since, without it, we wouldn’t have much of a story. I think the complexity of the characters more than makes up for the expected story. Having said that, I am thankful that the romance between Sam and his girlfriend Hannah (Olivia Wilde) takes a backseat. It’s nice to see a movie that doesn’t need to include a huge romance as part of the primary story line. There were more complex issues going on in the film and the romance is merely a background support.

PEOPLE LIKE US is heartwarming and relatable. It’s a wonderful tale for the modern family.

OVERALL RATING: 4.25 out of 5 stars

DARLING COMPANION – The Review

In all the discussion last week about Johnny Depp’s eighth film collaboration with Tim Burton on DARK SHADOWS another actor/director team has a work that’s about to reach theatres, DARLING COMPANION is the sixth film that actor Kevin Kline has made with screenwriter/ director Lawrence Kasdan. It’s hard to believe, but their first together, THE BIG CHILL was released thirty years ago. The new film harkens back to their earlier efforts like CHILL and GRAND CANYON since it addresses family issues and surrounds Kline with a great cast of seasoned screen vets. Amidst the high decibel destruction of this Summer’s blockbusters a small story about a long married husband and wife ( and their pet ) may be a relaxing change-of-pace.

The film begins as Beth ( Diane Keaton ) is cooing to her new grandchild at the Denver airport. After she says goodbye to her youngest daughter’s family, Beth and her eldest, single daughter Grace ( Elisabeth Moss ) hit the road for home. But something catches Beth’s eye : a wounded mutt cowering in the snow. The ladies scoop up the dog and visit a veterinarian’s office ( Grace takes a shine to the handsome doctor ). Instead of delivering the pooch to the animal shelter, Beth brings him home to meet her workaholic, spinal surgeon hubby Joseph ( Kline ). He squawks at first, but eventually gives in and the pup ( now named Freeway ) joins the family. Fast forward to another big family event as Grace weds the vet at their vacation getaway home in Utah. After the happy couple head to their honeymoon, Joseph loses Freeway while taking a walk in the woods. And so, a search begins with the remaining guests : Joseph’s sister Penny ( Dianne Wiest ), her loutish new boyfriend Russell ( Richard Jenkins ), Penny’s son ( and Joseph’s office partner ) Bryan ( Mark Duplass ) and the sultry caretaker of the estate, Carmen ( Ayelet Zurer ).  Can they reunite the panicky Beth with her beloved, darling companion?

So there’s the somewhat simple story that Kasdan and his wife Meg have cooked up. It’s certainly not as convoluted as Lawrence’s directing debut BODY HEAT ( not a lot of steamy, sweaty sex either! ). But there’s a nice languid pace and some great performances. Keaton and Kline make a believable couple. He’s doing a riff on some of his stodgy, uptight characters while she’s not too far away from her ” Annie Hall ” whimsy. They can fuss and fight while still finding each other’s quirks endearing. Wiest also works well with Kline, but she really shines in her scenes with Jenkins. He’s become one of the screen’s most delightful character actors ( as the recent CABIN IN THE WOODS confirms ). His Russell annoys all of the family but Penny. He’s a gregarious guy who’s always working on a get-rich-quick scheme. Sure he’s a doofus, but it’s hard to resist his charms. The only subplot that doesn’t quite ring true is the blossoming romance between Bryan and Carmen. We can see where it’s headed very early. It’s the old opposites attract bit. The earthy exotic ( she has a gypsy heritage ) gets the cold, wasp-y professional to cut loose. Her ” psychic powers ” routine is a bit overused. Luckily, Joseph is there to roll his eyes and call her on the BS. Aside from a welcome cameo from Sam Shepard as the sheriff ( he just wants to fly fish! ) and a nightmare animated clip, there not many shocks or surprises in the film. But Kasdan directs with a sure hand and the Utah scenery is breathtaking. If you’ve got some affection for these wonderful actors, then this gentle tale of family ( and pet ) love may be a nice break from the explosive thrillers. It’s a bit of cinema comfort food with some old film friends.

Overall Rating : 3.5 Out of 5 Stars

 

Tribeca 2012 Review: YOUR SISTER’S SISTER

With a title like YOUR SISTER’S SISTER, I was expecting to see something more along the lines of a Nicholas Sparks or Danielle Steel adaptation rather than the truly hilarious and heartfelt sort-of romantic-dramedy it turned out to be. Jack (Mark Duplass) has had a rough time dealing with the death of his brother, which happened exactly one year ago. Jack’s best friend / late brother’s ex, Iris (Emily Blunt), gives him the keys to her father’s remote cabin for a little alone time to relax and reflect on his life. Once there, he discovers Iris’ sister Hanna (Rosemarie DeWitt) is already staying at the cabin after ending a 7-year relationship with her girlfriend. After a drunken night of confession, Jack and Hanna sleep together only to be woken up the next morning by the arrival of Iris, who decided Jack shouldn’t be entirely alone after all. You may think you know where this is going but the film will still surprise you.

YOUR SISTER’S SISTER is done in the same loose and largely improvised style of Lynn Shelton’s previous films; however, it feels much more refined here. This is partly due to an upgrade in equipment but it also seems like Shelton has grown as a filmmaker both in terms of storytelling and visuals. True, there is not much story to work with but the three main characters are fully realized and a joy to watch, which is great considering they are the only ones on screen for the majority of the running time. Mark Duplass, Emily Blunt and Rosemarie DeWitt are all fantastic, bringing their roles to life with a naturalistic but never ordinary approach. Most of the comedy stems from their rapid-fire dialogue, which is equally witty and earnest.

The film is not without flaws but they are so minimal in comparison to all that it gets right. While the editing is fairly tight for this kind of style, there are a few moments that tend to linger on just a little too long, especially during a montage towards the end. Speaking of the end, I personally felt it concluded perfectly but those who prefer everything to be wrapped up may be upset when the credits begin scrolling. The story may not be the most original, nor are some of the situations, but the manner in which they are presented in makes it all feel fresh and authentic.

Despite being a fan of Shelton’s HUMPDAY and this film’s solid cast, I was just not really looking forward to seeing this. I really think the title played a large part in that but the less than riveting description found in the Tribeca guide probably didn’t help either. On the advice of several people at the festival, I gave the film a chance and I’m so glad I did. Not only was it one of the best films there but also one of the finest I’ve seen this year. IFC Films will be releasing the film next month and I highly recommend you make an effort to seek it out.

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuck – JerryCavallaro.com

Tribeca 2012 Daily Recap: April 25th

It is close to 2 am and I need to be out of my house before 8 to make my first screening tomorrow so I will try to make this quick. Rather than kick things off with a trip to the press lounge this morning, I went straight to the AMC Village 7 Theater for the first time this year.

Partially inspired by my Tribeca experience, I made a comment on Twitter the other night that the only comedies festivals seem to program are “authentic” dramedies about “real-world relationships” that tend to go nowhere. That is a fairly accurate description of YOUR SISTER’S SISTER except for one major exception; the film actually takes you on a bit of an emotional journey and it is quite a fun trip. I was surprised by how much I loved the film. This was a public screening and easily the most packed I had seen any theater at the festival thus far. I had not even planned to see this film but heard such good things from other press that I added it to my list. I’m so glad I did. This smart, funny and expertly crafted flick is easily one of the best films at Tribeca.

Following the screening, I checked into the film via GetGlue just like I’m programmed to do after constantly watching the ads telling us to share our Tribeca experience via the wonders of social media. I received a response on Twitter from @ConradHotels asking about my #TFF screening schedule. After a few tweets, they told me they’d have a surprise for me after my last screening of the day. Intrigued, I began my hike to the Clearview Cinemas Chelsea. Of course there were a few stops along the way: Best Buy for Blu-Rays I don’t really need, Press lounge for water & ice cream and a lunch break at 2 Bros. for $1 pizza slices! Tired, full and a little curious, I made it with plenty of time to spare to my second (and final) screening of the day.

THE GIANT MECHNICAL MAN was a bit of a letdown for me. While enjoyable as is, the film never lives up to its full comedic potential. It works best when dealing with the rom-com aspects of the story but falters a little with mostly unnecessary dramatic beats that feel too repetitive. I can’t help but feel like this film would have been far more entertaining if all the main characters were not so damn depressed. At least Topher Grace was spot on as a cocky motivational speaker.

The post-screening Q & A was equally disappointing. Not because Jenna Fischer wasn’t there (although that did suck) but because only a handful of fairly boring questions were thrown at writer/director Lee Kirk who seemed to have a lot more to say. On my way out, I received yet another tweet from @ConradHotels alerting me they’d be at the theater in less than 20 minutes. I waited outside for just a few before being met by the 2 lovely ladies I had apparently been tweeting with. And they came bearing gifts!

Courtesy of Conrad Hotels & the Pop-Up Conrad Concierge, I received a $100 gift card and a Mophie Juice Pack Plus iphone case. This was truly awesome and incredibly useful for many reasons. Whether you are at the festival or not, I suggest you follow @ConradHotels since they seem to be giving away a lot of cool stuff. (Please note: This is NOT an official endorsement on behalf of WAMG) They took a video of the entire thing which I will link to in a future update if they post it.

With my backpack a little fuller, I decided to stop by the filmmaker lounge for an Industry Cocktail party prior to hopping the bus home. Just like last  time, a few minutes turned into 3 hours chatting with people like Alan LaFave (Festival Director of Hell’s Half Mile Film + Music Festival), Aaron Moorhead (co-director of RESOLUTION), and Matt Watkajtys & Jeff Hodges of Izkara distribution. Filling my backpack just a little bit more with free Smart water, I finally made my way home. And now I will finally get to bed!

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuck – JerryCavallaro.com

Review: ‘Humpday’

humpdayreview2

You would be hard pressed to find something more hot than the man love that goes on in Lynn Shelton’s ‘Humpday’. In fact, you can probably bet that you have never seen “bromance” like this before.

When this movie hit Sundance this past year it immediately started to get buzz because it has such a great storyline, and the characters Lynn created as so stimulating you cant help but fall in love with all of them. It was being touted as a “mumblecore” movie which at the time made absolutely no sense to me since that term does nothing to describe the actual genre, or style of the film. Basically what “mumblecore” really boils down to is low budget, indie films that are mostly improvised. Looking up that term on Wikipedia lends the names of Lynn Shelton and Mark Duplass (who along with Joshua Leonard stars in ‘Humpday’) as primary directors for this genre of film.

The story is the classic boy marries girl, boys best friend visits and they decide to make an amateur porn film of themselves having sex…wait, maybe not your classic story but one that comes off brilliantly. Ben (Mark Duplass) and Anna (Alycia Delmore) are a recently married couple who are trying to conceive their first child. After a ridiculous attempt the night before they are awakened by loud knocks on the front door at 2am. Ben does his man duty to see who it is, only to realize that its his best friend Andrew(Joshua Leonard) who has recently returned from Mexico and in need of a place to crash while he is in town. After hanging out for a while Ben and Anna make him a place in the laundry room while they discuss how off the wall his showing up was.

The next day Anna decides to make a dinner for all of them in an attempt to get to know Andrew better. Ben gets a hold of him to find out his plans and Andrew invites him to come hang out at this girls house who he met at a coffee shop earlier that day. Not surprised by this Ben goes over to invite him back for the pork chop dinner that Anna is preparing, only to get caught up in the careless fun they are having.

After a few hours of drinking and debauchery, the group starts talking about the amateur porn festival Humpfest in Seattle which Andrew is going to enter a video into. When Ben inquires about it he is called out by his buddy that he wouldn’t be allowed to do something that risque and hints to the fact that he is whipped. Ben combats this by saying he could and would enter a video and they decide the most “artistic” video would be two straight guys having sex. Ben suggests that he and Andrew make said video to prove he is willing but Andrew wouldn’t be. Andrew then decides its a good idea and Ben calls to book the hotel room for the man love that will inevitably go down.

Without ruining the entire movie and spoil what is about to happen in the story I will stop there, an asshole thing to do right? Well not really, you need to go out and see this movie because I don’t do it justice I am certain. Joshua Leonard and Mark Duplass are outstanding in this film and despite being almost entirely improved none of the scenes feel forced, some are awkward but never forced or unreal. This is the first thing I have ever seen Alycia Delmore in and cant wait to see him in more because she is delightful and really pulls off her role with ease.

Lynn Shelton has created an indie masterpiece and I hope that this movie becomes an extreme financial success because if anyone is more deserving it is her. I would also like to say that Magnolia Pictures has really impressed me with their recent acquisitions and I am very glad that they found a home for ‘Humpday’. Here are the dates that you can go out and see ‘Humpday’ near you.

Interview: Mark Duplass and Joshua Leonard

humpdayreview

We have been talking about ‘Humpday’ since its premiere at Sundance earlier this year so all of our loyal readers should know a bit about it by now. For those of you who don’t, the film is about two straight guys who decide to have sex on camera for an amateur porn festival called Humpfest. I’ve been describing the film to friends as ‘I Love You, Man’ meets ‘Zack and Miri Make A Porno’.

Yesterday I got the chance to speak with Mark Duplass and Joshua Leonard, who play the friends looking to complete the “beyond gay” art project. Listen below to hear us talk about the film and a possible sequel and to get some very sound advice for making indie films. Mark also talks about his (and his brother’s) still untitled John C. Reilly/Jonah Hill/Marissa Tomei flick, why mumblecore is a dead term and a remake he would like to tackle. This interview is so awesome, Josh walked away with a bloody nose. Check it out now!

‘Humpday’ opens in New York and Seattle today! Here is a complete list of which theaters and the dates the movie will be showing in.

Jerry Cavallaro – www.AreYouStuckLikeChuck.com