Cyrus

Cyrus isn't really a comedy, though I wouldn't blame you if you have that impression before seeing the movie. Both Jonah Hill and John C. Reilly have been in a lot of comedies lately (though Reilly is fairly well-known for more serious movies like Magnolia and Boogie Nights), and the trailer doesn't do much to dissuade that notion. It does have some parts that are quite funny, but it gets more serious as the movie goes on, and is quite touching and raw at times. 

The story is about a divorced, lonely man (Reilly) who meets a seemingly perfect woman (Marisa Tomei). The only problem is that she has a live-in adult son Cyrus (Hill), and they're co-dependent on each other to the degree that Cyrus instantly hates the new man who (in his mind) is going to take his mother away. His solution is to sabotage their relationship. 

That sounds like the set-up for a broad comedy in the vein of Step-Brothers, but Cyrus sticks fairly close to its indie sensibilities. It's filmed in an almost documentary-type manner, the situations never really get too over-the-top or absurd, and the relationships remain the focus of the movie, throughout. The issues of co-dependency and parents and adult children having a hard time letting go of each other is treated pretty seriously. 

Cyrus was one of my most anticipated movies of 2010, and while I can't say it was as great as I hoped it would be, I ended up being pleasantly surprised by the tone it struck. I say keep an open mind and check it out.

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Cyrus, is a comedic drama that focuses on a divorced man, John (John C. Reilly), meeting the woman of his dreams, Molly (Marisa Tomei), and falling hard for her at a party, subsequently later meeting her grown up son, Cyrus, played by Jonah Hill. The movie was produced by Scott Free Productions, Ridley Scott's production company, and distributed domestically by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Jay and Mark Duplass are the creative minds behind the writing and directing of the picture, and Jas Shelton is the guy responsible for the shaky camera work prevalent throughout the movie. So, now that your familiarized with some of the players lets get down to brass tax.

This movie isn't what many will expect from the trailers, it's a semi- dark, dramedy that examines an unhealthy co-dependency between a mother and her twenty-something year old son, Cyrus. The trailers might have you believe you'll be watching a combination of Step Brothers and The Forty Year Old Virgin, but that isn't really the case. It's definitely much lighter in laughs than I expected, but it exposes some compelling emotional acting from Reilly and Hill that will certainly have critics applauding the "heart" of the film.

Jonah Hill adds further evidence to the case that he wants to break away from being typecast as the chubby, silly, practical joker, and delivers a much more serious performance in this film (Although, I wasn't so easily convinced by his more serious role in this movie, and found myself laughing out loud at times when that was definitely not the intended audience reaction). Reilly is near perfect at bringing vulnerability and desperation to his character, and he further demonstrates his prowess of making an audience laugh on several occasions. Tomei, also gives a memorable performance blending the ability to blindly see no wrong in her son while showing the desire to balance multiple relationships in order to make things work for a forty- something year old single mom (My apologies for how garbled that sounds, but it took too long to get out, so it stays). Catherine Keener turns in a good performance as a supportive ex-wife, that maybe should do better at creating borders between former partners. Matt Walsh, who plays her husband, gave a perfectly sarcastic depiction of the fiancé, who loves his future wife enough to put up with her sometimes idiotic, overly needy ex-husbands constant needs.

Overall, Cyrus, is a funny movie that might not be what moviegoers are expecting to see going into it, but it's emotional ups and downs, interesting subject material, clever improvisation, and great acting are enough to satisfy.

"It's great to have a new dad." Cyrus to John

If your girlfriend has a grown son living at home, see Cyrus; if you have one living with you, see it. For the rest of us, see Cyrus to enjoy American ensemble acting at its best: Molly (Marisa Tomei) and her 21-year old son, Cyrus (Jonah Hill), live in a very close relationship short of Oedipal but too close for either's growth.

The Duplass brothers, known for their quirky, loose film-making that includes restless shots and "mumblecore" style (the actors mostly improvise), have allowed these accomplished actors to express themselves in a realistic and charming way. While the plot seems episodic and unfocused, it is really a character-driven story with Molly the least developed of the characters.

The story's protagonist is John (John C. Reilly), a hang dog editor whose ex-wife is getting married and to whom Molly comes with the promise of a new life. Except for Cyrus, whose unusual attachment to his mom causes him to wage domestic war against John. While nothing unpredictable happens, and that is a flaw, the acting is first rate and the situations so believable (except for the oedipal hint) that this American comedy can be enjoyed for its European-style close-ups and lengthy scenes. The clichéd ending is to be endured with regret.

If you are still hooked on your ex-wife and have a girlfriend with a kid, see this film. If you're not, then enjoy the realism of story and acting. Although the Duplasses tend to move the lens abruptly from medium to tight, thereby emphasizing the personal nature of the film, rarely does American cinema get it right without CGI and rapid cutting. This is the right stuff.

I've been a long time fan of Marisa Tomei and John C. Reiley. Jonah Hill surprised me with his last Netflix series starring alongside Scarlett Johansson so I was curious to see if this film was worth watching.

And I have to see it might be close to one of my favourite films. The combination of humour, honest dialogue and a simple story that works really well makes this a great movie.

It's definitely not for everyone. The story is slow, there's no action, it's mostly talking. But the dialogue is great, a lot of it feels really realistic and there are no cheap cop-outs. Every character feels like a fully fleshed character and it gives every scene weight.

Tomei, Hill and Reiley carry their roles really well. They know how to shift from funny to serious and I can't fault their performances.

So yeah, I'm definitely glad I watched it and wholeheartedly recommend it.

i just watched Cyrus. fantastic film. Every review I've read so far has called this film a comedy. nothing could be farther from the truth. this is a dramatic film with a few (very few) comedic elements. Hill should be recognized for his dramatic role. I didn't find this movie funny at all. I thought it was a very interesting depiction of the new love triangle, between a child, a mother, and her love interest. No doubt this movie took the relationship between single mother and her child to the extreme it represents a dynamic that has existed for at least a generation and is becoming the norm. Jonah, Marisa, and John play these roles with a truth and simplicity that is palpable. They do the subject justice.