Brad's Status

First Hit:  What I loved about this film was Brad’s (Ben Stiller) authentic realistic internal dialogue about comparing.

Although there were comedic moments, they are mostly situationally driven, this film is a strong film about learning to not compare yourself with others.

Brad is living with his wife Melanie (Jenna Fischer) and their son Troy (Austin Abrams) in Sacramento. Brad created a non-profit and has made a decent living from this and Melanie works for the government. Troy is a musician and has done well in school and is now ready to tour and interview colleges. Brad and Troy head back to Boston to visit Harvard and Tuffs Universities. Tuffs happens to be Brad’s alma mater.

However, this trip brings up Brad’s college friendships and how all of them have become wealthy. He lays awake at night thinking about his friend’s success and how he and Melanie will be able to afford Troy’s education. Brad becomes obsessed with his financial lot in life. Melanie tells him everything will be alright as they will figure it out as they’ve always have done. However, Brad’s obsession won’t stop.

All of this is shared with the audience with voice over as we watch Brad on a trip with Troy to visit these schools.

At Harvard, Troy mistakenly misses his interview day and Brad, after trying to brag to other waiting parents, is now upset at Troy. Being a protective and caring father, he loudly argues with the admissions staff, trying to find a way to make the interview happen and embarrasses Troy and himself.

He and Melanie remember that one of Brad’s famous rich college friends Craig Fisher (Michael Sheen) [as a visiting professor] teaches a government communications course at Harvard, and has some pull, being a well known author and former White House insider. Reluctantly, Brad calls him and discovers that their other two college friends all have been in communication with each other but have left him out. He thinks it is because he lives in Sacramento, has a non-profit, and makes very little money.

This is the theme of the film, looking at the past and comparing oneself with others. Meeting some of Troy’s musician friends, he gets re-reminded of his past idealistic view of the world and starts pushing his position on Troy’s friends. They show him how his comparing mind is his struggle, not the money he makes. The point is driven home when Ananya (Shazi Raja) tells him where she grew up, just having some food and water was a very rewarding thing and that his current lifestyle is the envy of millions in the world. She tries to put it into perspective for him.

The other aspect of the film I really liked is how parents can feel when their child does well in life by making good choices. The sweet and difficult conversations between Troy and Brad are very well done.

Stiller is strong as the self-critical, obsessive, and comparing father who wants to be seen as some of his friends are seen, rich and famous. Abrams was good as the son. He was appropriately embarrassed and concerned by his father’s behavior. I loved the scene of he and his father wrestling on the bed. Sheen was very good as the arrogant old college mate of Brad. Raja was great as the idealist and realistic Harvard College friend of Troy. Fischer was very good as Brad’s wife. Mike White both wrote and directed this film and I thought many of the insights about how the comparing mind can take one away from actually living life as it shows up to you based on your decisions.

Overall:  I think this film presented a fairly realistic view how comparing success in the business world with my one’s longtime friends can hamper accepting life as it is.

Hall Pass

First Hit: A better than average comedy.

The premise of Hall Pass is that two married men, who like to fondly remember they college days as ladies men, get a free week away from their marriage.

The wives think that by giving the men Hall Passes they will realize they have it best with their current wives. Rick (played by Owen Wilson) and Fred (played by Jason Sudeikis) are the husbands married to Maggie (played by Jenna Fischer) and Grace (played by Christina Applegate) respectively. When they receive their Hall Pass they spend their time with their friends (who want to watch them get laid), at odd places like Applebee’s to try to pick up women.

The film is mostly about their haphazard attempts to find women to sleep with. The scenes are out-loud funny with a ring of truth running through it all. The women also discover that by granting a Hall Pass to their husbands that they’ve also given themselves a Hall Pass. What happens to Maggie and Grace is with more intent and more calculating than the men.

Wilson is in one of his better roles here. He just isn't a smart-alecky guy. Here he is more controlled and through this control he is actually funnier. Sudeikis is, at times, the over the top guy. The scene of him masturbating in his car is pretty off the wall and funny. Fischer is very good as Wilson’s wife who has to rediscover her love. Applegate is wonderful as Sudeikis’ wife. She is sexy, smart and is an excellent casting choice. Nicky Whelan plays a coffee shop girl that Wilson is infatuated with and she does a good job of being that woman. Richard Jenkins is really funny as a character named Coakley who is the Wilson's and Sudeikis' sex and woman mentor. Pete Jones and Peter Farrelly wrote this very tight and funny script. Bobby and Peter Farrelly co-directed this film very tightly and with a real bent to bring out the real funny aspects of married men.

Overall: This was an unexpected joy because it kept its reins in enough to make it both funny and with a point.

Solitary Man

First Hit: Michael Douglas is perfect in this role and does carry the premise all the way to the end.

The basic premise of this film is about some men and their drive, desire and lust to conquer women by bedding them.

Douglas plays Ben Kalmen, a divorced former car dealer who got caught scheming and was convicted of fraud. He has no job, no friends but he’d like to get back into business. He also has a reputation of hitting on many young women and bedding them. He’s dating and living with Jordan (played by Mary-Louise Parker) and Allyson (played by Imogen Poots) Karsch a mother and daughter who have their own wealth.

Although he is living with Jordan, he is still picking up other women and taking them to hotels. He’s tasked with taking Allyson to her college for a meeting with the Chancellor. Doing this puts himself in good graces with Jordan who can pull strings to get him endorsements and support to build a new auto dealership.

However, he hits on Allyson thinking she won’t tell her mother. His former wife Nancy (played by Susan Sarandon) still lives in their old apartment and still has their furniture. There is nostalgia and comforts being with her but as you learn at the end of the film, he became this other person because he felt invisible.

There are numerous men like Ben and this film can serve as a view of how their lives could go. I did like that the ending of the film was left up in the air, but I’m pretty sure of the way he went.

Douglas fills the bill of this character with panache. Whether it is true or not; if you believe gossip magazines, he makes the role come alive with realism. His dialogue is spoken with experienced ease. Parker effectively carries off the role of a rich affected wealthy woman who is hurt but wanting to move on. Poots as Allyson is strong by being both angry at and complacent with her mom. Jenna Fischer plays Kalmen’s daughter and given the odd dialogue with her father about his exploits, I was both taken aback and intrigued. Sarandon has a small but effective part by grounding the the film. Danny DeVito plays a old friend who runs a deli near his alma mater and here DeVito is on course and on track.

Overall: I liked this film as it fairly portrayed the sadness of someone continuing to find their strength through seduction.