Liberal Arts comes out of the gate with a funny enough opening scene. Then follows it up with 90 minutes of irritating, contrived garbage.
How this film has garnered any kind of positive buzz or praise is beyond me. It is as bad a film as I've ever seen - and given its somewhat modest goal of being a low key character study, the failure is intensified.
This is a film that will live or die on the depth of it's characters and the emotional engagement they prompt from the audience. Liberal Arts has some of the most hollow characters I've ever seen in a movie of it's kind. Our hero is boring and devoid of charisma. We're literally just told he's likable. The love interest is the typical geek fantasy - endlessly plucky, energetic, free thinking and just what the doctor ordered to awaken the soul of the protagonist. In other words, fake. The various college kids that inexplicably take a liking to the hero are just sketches of people - there to serve a purpose, but without any hint of a soul.
Things happen in the plot, of course - but you won't care. The movie goes through various motions and is surrounded by music and camera moves. But none of it matters a bit, because you won't care about the characters. You may as well try and enjoy sock puppet theater for its emotional heft.
Save the time and money. See something else.
How this film has garnered any kind of positive buzz or praise is beyond me. It is as bad a film as I've ever seen - and given its somewhat modest goal of being a low key character study, the failure is intensified.
This is a film that will live or die on the depth of it's characters and the emotional engagement they prompt from the audience. Liberal Arts has some of the most hollow characters I've ever seen in a movie of it's kind. Our hero is boring and devoid of charisma. We're literally just told he's likable. The love interest is the typical geek fantasy - endlessly plucky, energetic, free thinking and just what the doctor ordered to awaken the soul of the protagonist. In other words, fake. The various college kids that inexplicably take a liking to the hero are just sketches of people - there to serve a purpose, but without any hint of a soul.
Things happen in the plot, of course - but you won't care. The movie goes through various motions and is surrounded by music and camera moves. But none of it matters a bit, because you won't care about the characters. You may as well try and enjoy sock puppet theater for its emotional heft.
Save the time and money. See something else.