Jack and I loved this story of a 20-something guy diagnosed with a tumor on his back--surprisingly funny and predictably poignant. Writer Will Reiser actually had this rare cancer and Seth Rogen was his supportive friend and here plays the supportive friend of patient Joseph Gordon-Levitt--they have wonderful chemistry as the id and the ego, respectively, with Gordon-Levitt (he was in Inception after I wrote about him in (500) Days of Summer and this title will go right above it in my alphabetical list) giving a nuanced performance as Adam, and Rogen (covered in The Green Hornet) his usual irresponsible stoner, but this time a caring friend. The stellar supporting cast includes Anna Kendrick (see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help), Anjelica Huston (favorites: Prizzi's Honor (1985), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), The Grifters (1990), Agnes Browne (1999) which she directed, The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), The Darjeeling Limited (2007), and Choke), Philip Baker Hall (profiled in All Good Things), and Matt Frewer (with 111 acting jobs on imdb, he'll always be Max Headroom to me).
This is Reiser's (a cousin of actor Paul) feature film writing debut, though he's done a little producing, and an assured script it is at the hands of director Jonathan Levine, who wrote and directed The Wackness, which we also loved. Rogen encouraged Reiser to write the script and we're glad he did.
Despite Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino's (covered in Super 8) score, what you will remember are the songs, listed here by fellow blogger reelsoundtrack, who came back from a long hiatus days before we saw this.
This is one of the best movies so far this year, in my humble opinion, though "Oscar season" has barely begun. Do make a point of seeing it.
No comments:
Post a Comment