There is a man, Roger Greenberg (Stiller), around 40, who is house-sitting for his brother who took his family on a vacation. We have heard Roger was in a mental hospital and now seemingly okay, goes about his business being demanding, uncaring, selfish, mostly oblivious to other peoples' needs/feelings but also in a funny way, trying to reestablish himself. But, he is no hurry to do that. Told you it was in a funny way.
Remember the Seinfeld TV show where it was practically about nothing, yet you laughed your head off? This movie, too, is about nothing yet we are kept waiting for 90-minutes for it to start. There is basically no story. This is a slice of life that goes nowhere. And, there is more tension in here than in some murder mystery/thriller because we have no idea what Greenberg will do or say next.
For the most part he does nothing, which really doesn't add up as someone trying to reestablish himself toward any goal, job or future. So the way I see it, this falls flat. Not even any good lines to come away with. None funny anyway except for the Stiller in-crowd. Greenberg is just self centered and that is that.
Wait. There was one good line in here: hurt people hurt people. That sums up Greenberg and this movie. Greenberg realized he did hurt people, but saying that and doing something about it are two different things. Some may argue he started to do something at the end of the movie. Are we so sure of that?
We are not sure why his friends are still his friends as Greenberg in his younger days put the Kabosh on a record deal that would have made his musical group rich and famous, but they broke up and went their separate ways.
I thought that the letter writing campaign to companies that displeased him because of poor service (in his mind) would be the comic relief in here. Didn't happen. Ben should talk to his father Jerry about comedy. Look, if you are not going to do comedy, then confrontations are needed and the only one was with Ivan near the end of the movie. Not enough.
I did come away with something though. Rhys Ifans who played Greenberg's best friend Ivan has a lot of Peter O'Toole in him. I wouldn't say as animated as O'Toole in his later years but there's something there. I suppose we will know more when Ivans stars in a remake of Lawrence of Arabia.
Violence: No. Sex: Yes, twice Nudity: Yes, once Language: Yes, some in the beginning.
Remember the Seinfeld TV show where it was practically about nothing, yet you laughed your head off? This movie, too, is about nothing yet we are kept waiting for 90-minutes for it to start. There is basically no story. This is a slice of life that goes nowhere. And, there is more tension in here than in some murder mystery/thriller because we have no idea what Greenberg will do or say next.
For the most part he does nothing, which really doesn't add up as someone trying to reestablish himself toward any goal, job or future. So the way I see it, this falls flat. Not even any good lines to come away with. None funny anyway except for the Stiller in-crowd. Greenberg is just self centered and that is that.
Wait. There was one good line in here: hurt people hurt people. That sums up Greenberg and this movie. Greenberg realized he did hurt people, but saying that and doing something about it are two different things. Some may argue he started to do something at the end of the movie. Are we so sure of that?
We are not sure why his friends are still his friends as Greenberg in his younger days put the Kabosh on a record deal that would have made his musical group rich and famous, but they broke up and went their separate ways.
I thought that the letter writing campaign to companies that displeased him because of poor service (in his mind) would be the comic relief in here. Didn't happen. Ben should talk to his father Jerry about comedy. Look, if you are not going to do comedy, then confrontations are needed and the only one was with Ivan near the end of the movie. Not enough.
I did come away with something though. Rhys Ifans who played Greenberg's best friend Ivan has a lot of Peter O'Toole in him. I wouldn't say as animated as O'Toole in his later years but there's something there. I suppose we will know more when Ivans stars in a remake of Lawrence of Arabia.
Violence: No. Sex: Yes, twice Nudity: Yes, once Language: Yes, some in the beginning.