Rating of
4/4
Loved It So Much!
Franz Patrick - wrote on 11/12/08
It’s funny because I’ve always seen Selma Blair as the naive girl who Sarah Michelle Gellar wanted to destroy in “Cruel Intentions” regardless of how many films I’ve seen her star in. This one is the first starring role that convinced me that Blair can be a great actress. I completely bought the quirks that comes along with her character, the things she’s going through, and where she could possibly be heading. Once this film, directed by the always engrossing Edward Burns, started I couldn’t stop watching it because all the actors have a certain energy that made me want to know more. Patrick Wilson gives another great performance as the romantic writer happens to have a certain boyish look but stuck in a relationship with someone who’s extremely emotionally unstable (played by Elizabeth Reaser). Reaser’s massive bursts of anger made me laugh out loud but at the same time felt sorry for Wilson because he appeared to be somewhat emasculated in those scenes. I’ve always loved Debra Messing from “Will & Grace” and her other films like “The Wedding Date,” but I’ve never seen her so scathing as she was in this little gem of a picture. I enjoyed the little side story between Messing and Burns because they are so opposite in personalities that it was interesting to see them interact. This is undoubtedly a romantic comedy but as I was watching it, I felt like it was a tier higher than that. The film’s core is about deeply wounded thirtysomethings who want to achieve happiness but cannot quite get there because they are not happy with themselves. I was really invested with the characters and more than half of the time, I wish I knew these people not only to offer them advice but also learn from them. This movie reminded me of high school when I had all the time in the world to just… write. It made me wish that there were more hours in the day so I could just sit down even for just an hour or two to write about anything and everything. I thought this film was funny and sad with just the right pacing, but above all, it’s honest like a good piece of literature.
