Electronically speaking, consider this film as a faulty, analogous low pass filter which should ideally pass all lower frequencies in a system and attenuate everything above a specific cut-off point, but in actuality doesn't attenuate any. The filter here is the central character Philip (Jason Schwartzman), the low frequencies are the witty dialogs, humor, Elisabeth Moss, & creative writing niceties, while the higher frequencies (which should have been done away with) are the blown-off storyline, shaky camera work, pretentious drama, & half-baked supporting characters.
Telling a story of a two-book old grim writer, the film takes you on an incessant expedition with him while he follows his path to find wisdom & peace, yet produces ounces of snobbery wherever he goes. He is then mentored by another snob (played well by Pryce) who is a pretentious writer reminding us of Shaw or Hemingway, in ways. In the end, they advice each other so abundantly that without having pressed the button, they self-destruct. Amateur director Alex Perry uses cliché to perhaps celebrate his rookieness. It is evident from the first scene that he is a good writer of dialogs, which remains the best compared to any of the films I have seen in months. But, it is in the second half that you realize that the story doesn't move an inch forward with only dialogs as its fuel. It requires substance, and that is what the film lacks.
BOTTOM LINE: Alex Perry's fourth feature is a cloudy attempt at a story that fictionalizes the last thing that should be fictionalized, which is "writerhood." (for lack of a better word). Pleasure yourself with those conversations, for they are amazingly quotable.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
Telling a story of a two-book old grim writer, the film takes you on an incessant expedition with him while he follows his path to find wisdom & peace, yet produces ounces of snobbery wherever he goes. He is then mentored by another snob (played well by Pryce) who is a pretentious writer reminding us of Shaw or Hemingway, in ways. In the end, they advice each other so abundantly that without having pressed the button, they self-destruct. Amateur director Alex Perry uses cliché to perhaps celebrate his rookieness. It is evident from the first scene that he is a good writer of dialogs, which remains the best compared to any of the films I have seen in months. But, it is in the second half that you realize that the story doesn't move an inch forward with only dialogs as its fuel. It requires substance, and that is what the film lacks.
BOTTOM LINE: Alex Perry's fourth feature is a cloudy attempt at a story that fictionalizes the last thing that should be fictionalized, which is "writerhood." (for lack of a better word). Pleasure yourself with those conversations, for they are amazingly quotable.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES