1997 - Adaptation

I was in film school when this came out, and at the height of my screenwriting neediness - so the meta-ness of this film was always it’s strong point for me.  I’m curious how it’s viewed outside of industry circles.  This might be the first time that I really took to heart the additional layer of us being in constant adaptation - our inner change.  It’s beautiful.  This film is packed with amazing actors in roles large and small and Nicholas Cage gives one of his career best performances.  This was part of an amazing run from Charlie Kaufman that has come to a, kind of, depressing halt.  I shouldn’t say that he hasn’t lived up to his promise - because if he never made another film he’d still be responsible for some of the most interesting and innovative films of my lifetime - but I guess I was just hoping for more by now… 

If you’ve never seen this film and you’re a film nerd in any way, it’s a must see.  

1767 - Jeff, Who Lives at Home

I'm a big fan of the Duplass Brothers and their success - I think it's well deserved.  I think that, like Jeff in this film, they were in the right place at the right time and ready for it.  They tell simple stories but ones that are just rife with wonderfully comedic, but painfully honest moments - and this is no exception.  The story is, literally, about a stoner son who is sent out to buy wood glue for his mother and the events that transpire around it.  Jeff is obsessed with the idea of fate and things happening for a reason and this day will test that in really great ways.
Filled with talents that I adore - Jason Segal, Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon, and Judy Greer (who can do no wrong in my book) - each character gets a solid moment to shine here. 
Is some of it heavy handed?  Perhaps - actually - yeah, sure.  But it never steps into melodrama, it doesn't need to.  It just got added to Netflix recently so there's no time but the present to check out this really solid little flick!

1415 - Peep World

The cast for this film is practically a laundry list of people that I want to work with. Judy Greer, Sarah Silverman, Michael C. Hall, the list goes on and on...
I love films about dysfunctional familes. I know that one day I'll write one of my own once I organize my binders of notes from having studied my own family. This film is about a family whose youngest sibling has published a book about the insanity he has lived within - it's a great premise, but I almost felt like we never got the full crazy from the family and I would have liked that. That being said it's a really fun little movie, and well worth checking out!

1374 - Visioneers

Let me start off by saying I absolutely love Judy Greer. It would make me an extremely happy person to be able to work with her one day. I think Zach Galifianakis is enjoyable as well, and I think neither are utilized here with their strengths. I hate saying it, but this film is just a bit pretentious. It's, essentially, about a man who has the wife, kid, house, job, but is unhappy with all of it... and we're never given a reason why. I think it's meant to represent that everyone is unhappy... but... that's not true. I really had a hard time not drifting in and out of this. I really really wanted to like this film, but I just couldn't. I'm sorry Drake brothers! I know you were trying to make a satire, but I think you missed the mark. I look forward to what you do next 'cause I think you guys definitely have something to say as storytellers, here it was just a little heavy handed.

Love that Judy Greer. Love her.