Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
"In the film, Sara Quinn (Julianne Nicholson) is interviewing men as part of her graduate studies. Her intellectual endeavor has emotional consequences as the men’s twisted and revealing stories are juxtaposed against the backdrop of her own experience. As she begins to listen closely to the men around her, Sara must ultimately reconcile herself to the darkness that lies below the surface of human interactions."


5 Stars

Whoa.  I don't even know what to say.  It's like . . . I mean it's kind of just . . . I can't even explain it . . . just, whoa.  Is this film going to be of a 5 Star caliber for everyone?  Absolutely not, but it damn sure is for me.  Let's begin with the obvious reasons why this film is cooking with the right ingredients.  John Krasinski in his directorial debut has recruited the likes of Ben Shenkman (Angels in America), Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People), Will Arnet (Arrested Development), Will Forte (SNL), Joey Slotnick (Boston Public), Dominic Cooper (Mama Mia), Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU), Clarke Peters (The Wire), Denis O'Hare (True Blood), Fankie Faison (The Wire), Josh Charles (Sports Night), and Bobby Cannavale (Third Watch) into composing a film out of David Foster Wallace's short story collection of the same name.  Now, I must begrudgingly admit that I have yet to pick up any of his works and experience them first hand.  But, general opinion AND the fact that every few months something happens to serendipitously bring my attention to his writing must mean that he is someone I need to take note of.

The lone significant female role in this film is played by a stunning Julianne Nicholson.  I don't mean "stunning" in the beautiful sense (although she is lovely), but rather in the way that she utilizes a relatively small number of lines and is able to still be the dramatic driving force behind the entire film.  Now, attempting to mold a series of short stories together into a cohesive manner on screen is definitely a herculean task.  And frankly it's a task that, while noble, still falls a little bit short.  But man, not by much.

The film almost plays like two distinctly different Acts to me.  The First Act is relatively light and seems to take on a similar tone to movies like He's Just Not That Into You and When Harry Met Sally (a personal favorite) in the sense that we are almost given a set of guidelines or insights into the workings of the male mind and its perceptions.  Now, I feel like I do need to take this time to warn some ladies out there.  Many of the revelations made by men in the film are things that I find to be fairly universal truths when it comes to the male psyche and behavior.  However, many of these insights are, unfortunately, things of which I am not necessarily the most proud.  Let's suffice to say that after watching the first half of the film, I don't think any of the ladies out there are going to be particularly fond of their male companions.  And fellas, as a warning to you as well, you may want to slide over on the couch in order to be just out of arm's reach, because your girl may be overwhelmed with the uncontrollable need to punch you in the shoulder.  Obviously, both sides can do as you wish, but you were forewarned.  But, as a person who is perpetually interested in further exploring the human condition, I found most of the interviews in the First Act to be insightful and thoroughly entertaining.  And, I would suggest that you actually watch the trailer here to get an idea of what you are in store for.

Conversely, the Second Act takes a decidedly heavier and darker tone.  It begins, rather abruptly, with an extended scene featuring Frankie Faison as he, almost disdainfully, recounts the job that his father held as a bathroom attendant in a posh hotel.  To be honest, I almost feel like the scene doesn't have any business being in this film, and I mean that in a respectful way.  This scene is so gripping and powerful, that I almost wish it was a stand alone piece that could be examined and revered for its own brilliance.  Plus, with it's glaring racial overtones, I almost found it hard to relate to the fabric of the rest of the film.

We then jump to a scene between Domini Cooper and Julianne Nicholson that is nothing short of superb.  The entire scene is actually an inter cutting of three separate conversations between the characters that is paced so brilliantly, I almost found myself moving to the edge of my chair as the tension grew so tight that it became palpable.  This scene is the one is most obviously added for relative shock value, but the entertainment factor alone let's us forgive the director for adding something so brash.

The last major scene occurs between John Krasinski and Julianne Nichiolson in which the audience is finally given a clearer view as to what exactly has been going on throughout the film and why the female character has been performing these interviews with "hideous men".  John Krasinki actually delivers a powerful monologue that will make you completely forget that the bread and butter of his career has been portraying the affable Jim Halpert on The Office.  He recounts a story that, while the "wires" of it may fray at times in the middle, he concludes with such a blindingly poignant moment that I challenge anyone not to sit back in their seat and say, damn.

So, while I can't predict the reception that each individual person may have to the film, all I can say is that this film was one I whole heartily believe is worth watching, and I hope some of you do too.

Barney's Version

Barney's Version
"Take a ride through the life and memories of Barney Panofsky, a hard-drinking, cigar-smoking, foulmouthed 65-year old hockey fanatic and television producer, as he reflects on his life's successes and (numerous) gaffes and failures as the final chapters of his own existence come sharply into focus."

4.5 Stars

As the film opens, you may find yourself wondering if you have accidentally stumbled in an infomercial about DI-UH-BEET-US because, whether they meant to or not, the make up artists were able to age the initial antagonist Mark Addy into a spitting image of Wilford Brimley.  Now, if you don't understand that reference, don't worry because it wasn't that funny and, I have to admit, a little obscure.

But moving on, let's talk about the movie.  First and foremost it's important that you take the title of  "Barney's Version" into consideration when it comes to interpreting the accuracy of the events of the film.  Barney (played brilliantly in this case by Paul Giamatti) is an unreliable narrator who, although he never actually does a voice over, is giving the audience his recollection and the correlating interpretation of his life.  This intriguing framing device might be most evident in the scene where we see Barney fall in love with his eventual 3rd wife while at the wedding reception to his 2nd wife.  On the surface, it appears as though Barney falls in love with Miriam based on 3 simple criteria - 1) Her looks.  2)  Her appreciation a good Monte Cristo cigar.  3) Her thoughtfulness to update Barney on the final score of a Stanley Cup match he was missing due to the wedding.  Now, this may come off as relatively shallow and almost flippant when you consider the fact that a newly married man is pursuing another woman at his own wedding reception.  But, the romantic in me likes to believe that Barney is experiencing the extremely rare (if even possible at all) Love at First Sight.

Miriam, the object of Barney's affection is played by a surprisingly powerful Rosamund Pike.  I mean, let's be honest, Paul Giamatti can't seem to walk more than 10 feet without tripping over an Academy Award nomination these days.  But Rosamund Pike almost gave me the feeling that she was the critically acclaimed actor instead of the relatively green performer that she actually is.  And that's a conclusion I cam to in spite of the fact that I wasn't necessarily as infatuated with her as Barney was at their initial meeting.  But, even though it took me a little longer, by the end of the movie I was head over heels for her.

There are a lot of other impressive performances in the film too, like that of Rachelle LeFevre and Scott Speedman, but the one I feel I must point out as being superior to all the rest is Dustin Hoffman's.  He plays the boisterous, sometimes border-line inappropriate role of Barney's father Izzy to damn near perfection.  Izzy is a retired New York beat cop who spent 30 years patrolling the "mean streets" and persisted in the face very thinly veiled anti-semitism by administering his own (slightly law-bending) form of justice.  In spite of a hard life, he comes of as a wise, jovial man with no regrets and one I could probably listen to for hours over a glass of good bourbon.

Now, the film does come off as a little left-of-center, but I don't mean that in any sort of negative way.  Nor do I mean that as a code word to imply that this is a weird, artsy movie that only a certain niche of movie-goers are going to appreciated.  But rather, I guess what I mean is that there does not seem to be one particular, all-encompassing theme or direction for the film.  It does jump around quite a bit through various time lines, but the action is never difficult to follow, in fact it's quite the contrary.  This is a direct result of the excellent make up done to the aging characters.  Make up so good, in fact, that it was nominated for an Academy Award.

But, at its very core, I feel like this film is just a portrayal of the common experience we all share of being human and trying to find our own bliss.  Inherently, the mere fact that we are human means that we all have the imperfections and insecurities that have to come along with it, and Barney is no exception.  He is just a decent guy trying to do the best that he can, and this is his story.

The Company Men

The Company Men
"When the GTX Corporation must cut jobs to improve the company's balance sheet during the 2010 recession, thousands of employees will take the hit, like Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck). Bobby learns the real life consequences of not having a job. Not only does he see a change to his family lifestyle, and the loss of his home, but also his feelings of self-worth."

3.5 Stars

One of these days, maybe a few hundred years in the future, the history books are going to look back at this period of American history and, hopefully, they will be taken aback by the lives and work ethics our society has grown accustomed to.  It would seem to me that, for most of human history, people have worked to live.  But the last 75 years or so seem to exhibit a reversal of that philosophy, because people now seem to just be living to work.

From a very young age, Americans buy into the fact that they are born to pursue that elusive American Dream.  That lofty ideal that if we work hard and show others that we are committed to a cause we will, in turn, be rewarded with a big house, fancy cars, and a summer home on a tropical island.  Now, don't get me wrong, I like to indulge in the extravagant just as much as the next guy.  Like Tommy Lee Jones begrudgingly admits at one point in the film, "I like $500 lunches and $5,000 luxury hotels."  But somewhere along the way the American Dream became flawed.  We essentially give our lives to our jobs in the belief that everything will pay off in the end.  We can justify taking on some debt, because we have a good job and there's no reason to think we won't have it forever.  Even more so, our psyches are warped enough to believe that the biggest change that may happen to our status quo is the possibility we'll get a better job with an even bigger paycheck.  I mean, after all, this is America.  As long as you work hard and take advantage of the opportunities that arise, you can only move up the corporate ladder, not fall down it.  We did everything right.  We got the college degrees they told us to get and made the sacrifices they told us to make.  Now it's their turn to hold up their end of the bargain.

Well, more so than anytime in recent memory, we must face the blunt truth that nothing in the corporate world is guaranteed.  While we may be doing exactly what we're supposed to do, it may not be enough.  And even the most fortuitous of us can end up on the street passing out resumes and  going to job interviews with anyone who will grant us an audience.

But if ever there was a time to appreciate a silver lining, it would be now.  Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) goes through the same situation that millions of American across the country have had to endure over the past few years.  A massive and life altering change that leaves him contemplating not only his future, but his self worth as a provider.  But a wonderful thing happens along the way, he realizes that once all the opulence and material possessions are stripped away, he is left with one important thing, his family.  And, ironically enough, isn't that the reason he tried to chase the American Dream in the first place?

The Company Men presents a refreshingly accurate portrayal of the fear and angst that has become an all too common thread in the lives of people across the country.  Now, I will admit that, initially, I had a hard time identifying with the characters and truly believing them as everyday corporate businessmen because I knew (in real life) they were all actors and probably had never seen the inside of a cubicle their entire professional careers.  Luckily, they were able to win me over very quickly.  Perhaps it was the fact that I got distracted by the mention of Mobile, AL (my hometown) as one the firm's shipping yards they had to shut down.  But, more than likely, it was because everyone put forth genuine and heart felt performances.

The cast is full of great actors like Craig T. Nelson, Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Chris Cooper, and Tommy Lee Jones.  But, to be fair, Tommy Lee Jones could act in a feature film about Depends undergarments and I would probably find it entertaining, but that's besides the point.  The script is lean and mean.  In his directorial debut, John Wells (of West Wing and ER prominence), has put together a story and a cast that did a sincere and just job in portraying the Great Recession in the most realistic way possible.  And he has done it without mincing many words or drawing out many scenes.  There are numerous plot elements that essentially happen off screen while the audience is left to assume what happened and fill in their own gaps.  But the brevity is sometimes necessary to keep the characters developing and the story lines balanced.  Both of which are achieved very well.  So well, in fact, that the film almost takes on documentary feel (and I mean that as a compliment).  But the added bonus of it being a story of fiction is that the audience is able to see the more intimate moments in the home lives of the characters and the struggles they are having to cope with after being knocked down from their lofty perches.

One criticism of the film might be that the script isn't as realistic as, well, reality.  But I think that's okay.  Granted, the film doesn't end in happily ever after and there are plenty of tragedies along the way, but I can see why some people may think the characters' journeys aren't as grueling as their real-life counterparts.  But we have to remember that it's a movie.  It's meant to be a work of fiction and, if nothing else, it's meant to put forth some semblance of hope.  If it were completely true to form, then it might be too depressing to watch.

And, thankfully, the film doesn't try to do too much.  It doesn't simplify things to the point where the implication is all big corporations are evil and all CEOs have made pacts with the devil.  Although I'm not entirely convinced that they aren't and that they haven't.  But what it does do is paint a picture of what the new normal is in America.  Now, am I naive enough to think that this shake up in the American Dream will prevent us from repeating our mistakes?  No.  I have no doubt that people will continue to do what they can to buy the McMansions and drive the Porsches.  But hopefully this movie can be an reminder of what should be important and what we really should be working for.  An hour at home is worth 10 in the office.  And, I can only speak for myself, but when I look back on my life, I know that I'll be remembering the times when I was surrounded by loved ones and not the times when I was surrounded by cubicle walls.

PS - I don't mean to cheapen the review in anyway here, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fact that Maria Bello has to be one of the sexiest 43 year olds in the world.  This isn't a new revelation for me, but it is one that I felt I had to reiterate.