Rated by critic: Rated by users: Rated by you: \ABS\Auto Blog Samurai\data\Movie reviewer\filmcriticcom\shad100x-thumb-62x62-27016.jpg)
Jules Brenner Movies are the best narcotic. full bio of Jules Brenner I'm tempted to say, "the trouble with this movie," but will hold forth for the sake of giving it a break. Based on author Douglas Light's quirky, somewhat kinky novel East Fifth Bliss and adapted by director Michael Knowles (One Night) for the screen, The Trouble With Bliss Iis another of those New York low-budget genre films that seem designed to keep local actors working, although I have to admit that this comedic satire has a few things going for it that makes it a cut above the general output. Not hugely so, mind, but maybe worth parking yourself on East Fifth for an hour and a half, which is where the whimsical fable for modern times unfolds.
Raising it a notch is the always wonderful presence of Michael C. Hall (Dexter) who plays Morris Bliss, a 35-year old slacker living with his widower dad Seymour (Peter Fonda, 3:10 to Yuma). "Living off" would be more to the point. Morris is so lost in his ennui he can't manage shopping for groceries even when dad pumps him with money for that express purpose time and time again. He'd rather blow the cash on beer at the local tavern for himself and the leeches he calls buddies, a pattern that makes him one too disappointed dad if you're going to be up front about it.
This being an idiosyncratic twist on the romantic comedy, Morris isn't only a flake and a low achiever, the ladies are strongly attracted to his placid demeanor despite the stubble on his appealing face. Witness 18-year-old sexpot Stephanie (Brie Larson, Rampart) in her Catholic schoolgirl uniform post coitus in his room. She's young and libidinous and knows an older man she can couple with when she sees one. She's not so much a loser as a wench following her hormonal impulses, and that has led her to what she thinks is the sexy, malleable personality that is Morris. Only, however much she tries, weedles and insinuates, he's not as into her as the other way around. That, of course, is his M.O. This guy wouldn't recognize a commitment if it came with ice cream. With much misgiving, and because he's such a softie, he agrees to be her date to her prom and meet her parents. Woe is he.Good thing he has friends, like fast-talking buddy MJ (Chris Messina, Julie & Julia) who, for the price of a couple of beers, tries to spark Morris into a direction that will net him easy bucks. He claims to have saved Morris's life one time in their past but it could be the other way around. Either way, there's a tab running between the pair and that's on account of daddy's generosity.
A subplot is spawned when Morris runs into apartment neighbor Andrea (Lucy Liu, Detachment) an Asian beauty who develops an attraction to our laid back hero during a period of marital strife with muscular hubby George (Scott Johnson). Before this becomes a painful entanglement for either of them, which could bring on a serious connection with George's fist, it sputters out, but not before Stephanie catches sight of Morris with Andrea and has a fit of jealousy. Morris's worries mount when old classmate, big Steven "Jetski" Jouseski (Brad William Henke, Justified TV series) runs into him on the street and pushes him to revisit their high school haunts and level of maturity. But, a disaster looms. Stephanie's last name is Jouseski. Steven is her father. What are the odds in a city of 1.6 million? And Steve's already made clear what he thinks of any guy who would take advantage of his Catholic school darling. It could involve some bloodletting.
How will Morris work his way through the pesky roadblocks that rule his listless life and just let him get back to his ever welcoming womb-substitute, his bed? Well, that's what you're going to find out when you see this mild caprice of a Manhattan comedy. Hint: it has something to do with TJ, his lady landlord, a nasty cartel and revised evaluations.
As for the exceptional Mr. Hall, he embodies his loser with all the traits of slovenly slackerdom required for the character. It should provide his fans a contrast to his TV work even if it's not a breakout performance. But, it's Brie Larson who could be the big winner here with a sizable share of what excitement The Trouble With Bliss generates. She takes a superbly designed quirkiness beyond what's written on the page. There's a smash role out there in this actress's future.
So, what is the trouble with this movie? For one, when the central character is this stagnant, you might get the urge to flee the theater during the first 20 minutes for lack of engagement and a resumption of your life. But hanging in will pay off if you're open to wry humor and sly character development in the context of non-threatening passivity. A taste for the farcical and unlikely nestled in the 'hoods' of the concrete city will also help. A lack of testosterone can be a defining attribute worth a few laughs when coupled to an eccentric subset of neighbors and strangers.
P.S. You know that old refrain about movies coming in duplicate? Jeff Who Lives at Home, opening the same week as The Trouble With Bliss, is another variation on the single-son slacker and it's not likely to do this modest film's commercial prospects any good, even with one of the hottest TV actors heading the cast list.
Tweet Comments: Newest Oldest Most Replies Most Liked
About This Film from the AMC Movie Guide Don't Miss The Hunger Games by Bill Gibron 4:44 Last Day on Earth by Chris Cabin The Deep Blue Sea (2012) by Chris Cabin The Raid: Redemption by Sean O'Connell More from AMC Sites AMC Blogs AMC Movie Guide Filmsite Chat Online About Mad Men's Special 2-Hour Season Premiere on Sunday Night Newsweek Issue Is Homage to Mad Men; EW and Rolling Stone Laud Season 5 Premiere Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection Tweetstakes San Francisco Chronicle Praises Kevin Smith's New Book; Ming Chen Chats Comics With MTV Breaking Bad Ranks High in New York Drama Derby; Aaron Paul Braces Fans for Season 5 Quintessential Movies of the 1960sFavorite Movies 1960sBuddy Cop Movies
Go to AMC Movie Guide on AMCTV.com
The Best or Greatest Film Scenes Greatest Film Lines and Movie Quotes Academy Awards® - The Oscars 100 Greatest Films Filmcritic.com Home In Theaters New on DVD Top Rated Columns & Features Trailers & Video Sitemap Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions Contact Advertising & Syndication RSS AMCtv.com filmsite.org Copyright 2012 American Movie Classics Company LLC. All rights reserved. Some movie data from: Freebase, licensed under CC-BYSome additional movie data from Wikipedia, licensed under the GFDL
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar