Where the story begins and ends had me interested, but as I said, it meanders far too much. From Steve Carell to Rose Byrne, this cast is a great one and they do the best with what they are given, but the comedy that's trying to break through this slow-moving film just felt off to me. In the end, this is a film that would've been so much better with a spin on this true story that related to today's politics a little more. That wasn't enough to keep me engaged, so I was found myself looking for the comedic chops in every performer on-screen, which definitely held the movie together for me. The story itself makes for a few interesting or funny scenes and the conclusion was actually quite enjoyable, but the journey throughout just felt like a slow, meandering look at the lower end of the political scene. As I said, I'm not big into politics, but even I was finding myself wondering how a story like this from the pst had any relevance at all in today's climate. Now, here's where my review may seem a little muddled. In many ways, even though this story is based on actual events, it really did feel like an independent voice being heard, with Stewart both writing and directing. I feel that's the case with the majority of actors who take a turn as a director, after a long career of watching how it all goes down. Being an actor himself, he has absolutely picked up some knowledge. Just from watching this film, I can see that he has a knack for working with actors. Not only Carell, but the rest of the cast shines as well, which I'm positive came down to the fact that John Stewart was at the helm as director.Īdmittedly, I have not watched 2014s Rosewater, also directed by Stewart, so this was my first experience with him behind the lens. This entire film relies on the fact that he needs to accomplish his goals. If the character of Gary Zimmer wasn't so adamant about getting his way, this movie would've fallen flat on its face. I personally didn't find the movie itself all that funny, but Carell brings his A-Game here and his subtle humor lept off the screen. While I can't exactly recommend this movie to everyone, here's why I believe some viewers may like it a lot more.įollowing Democrat Gary Zimmer (Steve Carell) as he is tasked with helping Conservative Jack Hastings (Chris Cooper) realize that he truly speaks like a Democrat and that he should change his viewpoints, Irresistible plays out as a drama, that thinks it's a comedy and falls somewhere in the middle. In the case of Irresistible, it really came down to the fact that the cast worked really well together because I found this movie to be otherwise dull, even though there are some very solid moments of storytelling. It truly does take some great writing to engage me in the story they're telling. For that reason alone, movies that revolve around them are hard to impress me. And remember, dessert is the whole point of the meal.Off the bat, I'll admit that I'm not all that much of a political person, even though I do follow the biggest news stories that come out of it. Give it a chance, accept its weird style, and you'll be amply rewarded. (For instance, the paper airplanes are perhaps one contrivance too many.) But considering the difficulty of what it's attempting, Simply Irresistible succeeds quite brilliantly. It does feel just a tiny bit awkward in one or two places. This is one of my favorite films, period, but I freely admit that it's not flawless. (Funny that both leads have triple-barreled names.) The supporting cast is excellent as well, especially Lawrence Gilliard Jr., who will be familiar to fans of The Wire, and Patricia Clarkson, who is at her most charming. I've always been a huge fan of the sadly under-rated Sean Patrick Flanery, and here he hits exactly the right level of bewilderment. But, for me, her slightly self-conscious performance works perfectly with the material. Gellar's performance isn't entirely polished - she's obviously exploring a different, more innocent persona than in Buffy. Today, it's nearest kin are European films, such as Enchanted April, Chocolat or Amelie, which are happy to blend humor, fantasy and unabashed romanticism. It's reminiscent of the 'romantic fantasy' films that Hollywood used to produce quite regularly in the 1930s and 1940s. It's certainly not "a Sarah Michelle Gellar" movie, and will probably not appeal to anyone looking for 'just a bit more Buffy.' It's too whimsical to pass as a standard romantic comedy, and way too romantic (in every sense) for our cynical times. You can't pick it apart the components are too tightly woven. Simply Irresistible is one of those films that probably suffers in the reviews mainly by virtue of not belonging to any obvious category.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |