Cyrus
Here’s a tip for you ladies- if you see a guy pissing in the bushes, drunk, the best way to get a guy’s attention is to say, “Nice penis.” Say that, and you’ll have him for life.
That’s kind of how it is when Molly (Marisa Tomei) sees John (John C. Reilly) at a party his ex-wife (Catherine Keener) and her soon to be new husband (Matt Walsh) drag him to. It’s been seven years, but the pain still stings for John. But Molly is a good fit for him, and after a couple of nights of “fun,” where she’s left after, John wonders what’s up. That’s where he meets Molly’s son Cyrus (Jonah Hill), and things start to get…a little weird.
This is a peculiar comedy-drama from writer-director brothers Mark and Jay Duplass. Admittedly, it didn’t make me laugh a lot, but it did make me think a lot about what was transpiring onscreen. And it’s acted to perfection by Reilly, Hill and Tomei with a smart blend of passive-aggressiveness and obliviousness to the feelings underneath, especially when John and Cyrus get into a mental battle for Molly’s affections. (Did I mention that Cyrus calls Molly by her first name?)
The places the Duplass’ take this story are alternately predictable and unlikely. The seemingly good relationship with John and his ex (played by Keener with her trademark wit and intelligence). The sweet by-play between Molly and John, as well as Molly and Cyrus (who has his own recording studio at home), which makes the fallout of John’s and Cyrus’ antagonism that much harder on all three. But the best part of all this is that the film finds its’ notes of sympathy and sinister laughs without judgment of any of the characters and what they do. That’s something that doesn’t always happen- thankfully, the Duplass’ aren’t just another pair of filmmakers. They may not have tickled my funny bone, but they were capable of making a film that sticks in the throat…in a good way.
