I saw this film this morning, and aside from the ending, I walked out feeling fairly positive about it. However my wife was ENRAGED by it, making for an interesting drive home. She made a pretty good case for her opinion, which why I'm rating this a 5- right down the middle.
I was hoping for a dark comedy...it's no secret this is about a suicidal person, but I had heard it had comedic elements. And it did...however, they had little to do with the actual story. Told in flashback, the main character, the agoraphobic Leo, explains what has brought him to the brink of suicide. So why is he recounting the story of meeting his "first 'Emo'". The scene is entertaining and funny, and yet an inconsequential event in his life. It's great for the audience, but why would he be turning it over in his mind at the brink of suicide? There are several other funny or touching sequences, all highlights, and all completely out of place.
Another character which leads to a major turning point in the film is barely developed at all. Leo's landlord is painted as a ridiculous caricature, but later becomes an important influence on him, delivering a moving speech. I didn't have a problem with that twist (my wife did), but it still doesn't explain why Leo invites this buffoon to an intimate dinner party earlier.
And finally, there's the "shocking" secret that has been tormenting Leo. Unfortunately, it's completely ridiculous, and is shot in a way that destroys any impact. Without giving any spoilers, there is a detail in the flashback that just seems like the filmmakers way of cranking up the shock value, but it just seemed silly to me. Quick cutaways without too much detail would have probably been far more disturbing in the hands of the right filmmaker.
From there, it's a quick downhill slide into the dumbest plot device since the glasses of water in "Signs", and a "happy" ending that I hope was forced on the filmmaker. Cutting to black 3 minutes early would have resulted in a far more depressing film, but one I would be more willing to forgive.
The lead actress is solid from beginning to end, and I hope to see more of her. The gentleman who plays Leo is fantastic in the comedic scenes, but falters in the more intense material. I liked Leo, which made me WANT to like this film, but it's just too much of a mess in hindsight. I wonder if there's room on USA's slate for a 1 hour comedy/drama about a quirky agoraphobic genius...maybe after "Monk". Leo is a great character in search of a good film.
