Day: July 27, 2018

I enjoyed Russel Brand’s performance in Paradise* and decided to close out my evening of movies with a re-watch of this film. I love this film for depicting a guy who suffers a breakup and is, well, sad.** It’s also quite funny in the early 2010s way that involves a lot of raunchy humor.

Cost: Netflix monthly fee $7.99
Where watched: at home

Also consider: Superbad, I Love You, Man  

*What has become of Mr. Brand?*** He was everywhere for a while.  Perhaps his classic debauched rock star-equse persona is not needed in movies right now? He also wrote a moving piece after Amy Winehouse’s death that is worth reading. An excerpt: 

Now Amy Winehouse is dead, like many others whose unnecessary deaths have been retrospectively romanticised, at 27 years old. Whether this tragedy was preventable or not is now irrelevant. It is not preventable today. We have lost a beautiful and talented woman to this disease. Not all addicts have Amy’s incredible talent. Or Kurt’s or Jimi’s or Janis’s. Some people just get the affliction. All we can do is adapt the way we view this condition, not as a crime or a romantic affectation but as a disease that will kill.

**This seems rather obvious, but seeing a man react with sadness to the loss of a relationship isn’t a mainstay of cinema–even when used as a comedy device. Mostly they aren’t being broken up with, or they react in anger, or with violence.

***Apparently of late he’s been living his best life in Ireland.

This film falls into the category of Interesting Premise Poor Execution. I had several questions about the main character* that weren’t answered early enough for me and the question marks those unanswered questions distracted me from the plot, which wasn’t fully formed. The acting is good and I even like what I think Diablo Cody was getting at with her story, but this is a great example of everyone doing their level best and still the finished product is mediocre.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home

*Her name is what? Is it Lamb? I thought Lamb was a nickname. Just how old is she exactly? My guess was 18, but I think she was older because she had apparently finished college? Why does she have all this cash, and what sort of person in 2013 America still thinks it’s okay to carry a roll of large bills in a tote bag?

A Venn diagram of my sense of humor and Sasha Baron Cohen’s sense of humor would show two separate circles with room for a multilane highway between them, so there was no way I was going to like this movie.* And I didn’t.** I do admire Mr. Baron Cohen’s ability to never break character and to ask the questions that elicit such terrible answers.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home in preparation for 2019’s Filmspotting Madness

Instead consider watching: Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Clueless

*His humor comes in two parts: taking advantage of perfectly nice people (the humor coach, the dinner party people) which pisses me off; or exposing the dark underbelly of normal-seeming people (the guy at the rodeo, the frat brothers) which I don’t like to be reminded of, much less find funny.
**At one point Matt came home. I paused the movie and mentioned where I was. He laughed, grabbed what he needed and left. I resumed watching. The sum total of laughs at the Orange Door for the duration of this movie: that burst of laughter from Matt.