Cyrus - 1 smile

Mumblecore. Never heard that word before I started reading about “Cyrus.” According to Wikipedia, ‘it ‘s an American independent film movement that arose in the early 2000s. It is primarily characterized by ultra-low budget productions, focused on personal relationships between twenty-somethings, improvised scripts, and non-professional actors.’ Writers/directors Jay and Mark Duplass, brothers from Louisiana, are part of this ‘movement’ and “Cyrus” is their first feature with name actors and a small but respectable mainstream Hollywood budget. And although it’s getting a lot of critical acclaim, I didn’t like it. Mumblecore has a long way to go before it will be accepted by mainstream sensibilities. Here’s an example: the opening scene has John C. Reilly scratching his jock itch – or maybe doing something else. He plays John, an irritating man nearing 40 who suffers from loneliness and tedious depression. His ex-wife Jamie (Catherine Keener) dumped him seven years ago, but for reasons that are unclear, she remains his sympathetic best friend. When Jamie forces him to attend a party, John gets drunk and is caught urinating in the front yard by Molly (Marisa Tomei), who finds him charming and sexy (?). John is ready to jump into a relationship, but then he discovers Molly has a grown son who still lives at home. Cyrus (a creepy Jonah Hill) is an obese, mentally challenged 21-year old who is not happy that Mom is interested in someone else. And there you have it: a weird love triangle, a superficial investigation of an Oedipus complex, a slice of life about bizarre people.

Jonah Hill has a disturbing stare that’s perfect for Cyrus and his bland reactions to what’s going on around him only enhances audience discomfort. But when you really think about it, John’s relationship with Jamie is just as wacky as Cyrus and Molly’s. “Cyrus” is labeled a comedy and the previews seem to point in that direction, but it hovers so much in the shadows that it’s rarely amusing. I say, skip “Cyrus.” 6/16/10