I went into my viewing of Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s (Megan Leavey, Blackfish) Our Friend, knowing almost nothing. I hadn’t seen a single trailer or read even a sentence of a single review. All I knew was that the movie starred Casey Affleck, a drama based on a true story, and had both an audience and critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes that exceeded 85%. It was enough for me to give an unknown movie a chance. I was rewarded with a film that, while incredibly uneven, delivered in a deeply affecting way for which I was ill-prepared. This incredibly poignant movie is not for everyone. Bring your tissues. If you are a cancer survivor or were with someone during their successful or unsuccessful battle with cancer, be forewarned that Our Friend could bring on some incredibly intense emotions, some of which you have been consciously or unconsciously suppressing. Its final act strikes you at your core while also humbling you at the same time.
Category Archives: Jason Segel
The End of the Tour (2015)
The most unexpected surprise movie of 2015 was the incredibly well-written and well-acted The End of the Tour. While The Gift was the biggest surprise of the year, I went into that movie believing I would probably like the film, but maybe not that much. With The End of the Tour, I was super apprehensive about one of those things because the trailer just looked pretty corny. While I know many comedic actors can start in fantastic dramas (Robin Williams, Jonah Hill, Bill Murray), I was very uncertain that Jason Segel was up to this task at this point in his career. Segel has killed it with his comedy, both on the big screen (I Love You, Man, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Muppets) and television (How I Met Your Mother, Freaks and Geeks). He’s had a couple of misses (Sex Tape, Bad Teacher), but I still felt that he hadn’t worn out his recipe for success. Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, and others have all made hundreds of millions using the same formula. I think Segal is undoubtedly a more talented actor than Sandler. With Ferrell, time will tell. He’s in a bit of a lull, but I wouldn’t count him out. Nonetheless, Segal is an unbelievable talent who quietly goes about his business and will continue to earn opportunities in film and television.
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This is 40 (2012)
This Is 40 is an incredibly depressing movie that is not really funny. I love a good, raunchy comedy as much as anyone, but when it’s raunchy and not funny, it becomes dumb. I say this with lots and lots of love for director Judd Apatow. Apatow has written and directed two of the funniest movies of all time (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up). He has also helped produce some of the other major comedies of the last decade, including Superbad, Step Brothers, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Still, this is just the fourth movie he is directed, and one of those, Funny People, was anything but funny. This Is 40 should have been a big hit. Apatow is talented enough to make a movie surrounding this topic into something funny. But ultimately, This Is 40 is a failure. I have yet to talk to someone who has seen this movie and said, “I loved it and can’t wait to see it again.” I’ve heard, “I didn’t like that.” I’ve heard, “I saw it, and I’m glad I saw it, but I wouldn’t watch it again.” My thought on the movie was, “I saw it, and I’m not sure that I’m glad I saw it because, being near 40, I found parts of it to be too real and parts of it to be not real.” I’ll try to explain.
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Jeff Who Lives At Home (2012)
The unassuming yet hilarious Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I Love You, Man) further shows his range in the low-grossing but critically acclaimed Jeff Who Lives At Home. The movie, co-written and co-directed by brothers Mark and Jay Duplass (Cyrus, Baghead), is classified as a comedy but is more than just a barrel of laughs. Some true-to-life scenarios are tackled here and not passed off to get a chuckle from the audience. These include seeking personal life fulfillment, dealing with aging alone, and a terrible sense of self when learning that your partner is having an affair. I compare the movie to Little Miss Sunshine or Juno, but it’s much funnier, and the more dramatic storylines occur more naturally and aren’t as forced on you. Jeff Who Lives at Home is a good movie on your couch on a rainy Saturday afternoon. While it will never wow you, if you let it, it will surprise you and leave you with a good taste in your mouth.
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