SYNOPSIS:
Morrie is the keeper of all things family related including
his siblings. In this comedic foray into sibling relationships,
Morrie's little brother Jay is beyond peculiar, homeless and
humourously but clinically, depressed. His beautiful sister
Ida is a promiscuous insomniac and sometime photographer that
is starved for attention. Morrie's wife Betty has waited patiently
for seven years for their hard work to pay off so they can start
a family. As Morrie's life begins to unravel, he comes to realize
that his family will stand by his side no matter what.
MOVIE REVIEW:
This is probably one of those quirky movies
which would excite fans of independent movies. It is not marked
by car chases, gun fights, bomb explosions and colourful computer
generated effects. It is, however, filled with colourful characters
penned by a quirky mind. How else would you explain the existence
of a protagonist who is trying hard to be normal while suffering
from, err, constant bowel movements? Which eventually leads
to him, well, to put it hygienically, relief himself in his
neighbour’s squeaky clean garden lawn? And this is just
one of the quirky characters in this movie which never made
it to local screens here.
In centre stage of this movie is a regular
man who tries very hard to be normal while balancing a repressive
family and working life. It doesn’t help that he has
a weird brother and a troublemaker sister who are in town
to stay with him. In the concoction we also have a wife who
doesn’t understand why her husband has to deal with
all the oddities, and a neighbour who is perpetually taking
of her pretty flowers and spot free garden lawn.
We know Matthew Perry from the hugely successful
TV series Friends, and while his movie starring roles like
Serving Sara (2002) and The Whole Ten Yards (2004) aren’t
really what you’d call spectacular, his performance
in this Craig Lucas directed picture is rather noteworthy.
His portrayal of a man trying to come to grips with the mess
around him is heartfelt and sincere. He is accompanied by
Ben Foster (who would have thought that the pretty boy from
X-Men: The Last Stand would play this idiosyncratic character
so well?) and Ginnifer Goodwin (the loveable girl in He’s
Just Not That Into You becomes an attention seeking weirdo
in this movie) in every minute of this very watchable 85 minute
production. You can also look out for Oscar winner Hilary
Swank (Amelia) in the supporting role of the perfect neighbour
who we all secretly detest, and Lauren Graham (Evan Almighty)
as the wife who never loses her grip on reality.
And
with all story driven movies, the cinematography is straightforwardly
engaging, and production values are decently attractive. The
themes explored in the movie more than makes up for the lack
of flashy camerawork and lush setups. This is also a warning
for those who are not fans of movies which are dialogue driven.
Let your imagination run a bit and you’d be in for a
peculiarly eccentric treat that makes you think about your
own weirdness in everyday life.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
None
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The
movie’s visual transfer is fine, and is presented in
its original English dialogue.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
Posted
on 8 February 2010
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