Mattress salesman Brian Weathersby (Paul Dano) is in the process of adopting a Chinese baby. This specific mission has been a goal of his for “pretty much all his life. Zooey Deschanel also stars as Harriet (Happy) Lolly, the object of Brian’s affections. She’s winning as always, but it’s Dano’s understated charm that really takes you by surprise.
Gigantic is an odd little movie. It’s beautifully shot and deadpan funny at times and also… a little baffling. I don’t know what to make of it but I’d happily watch a film like this all day.
Minh Nguyen
Yes Man
Middle-aged Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) has quit on life. Choosing to refuse any and all invitations and alienating the few friends he has left, Carl opts instead for quality time on the couch.
Pushed into attending a motivational seminar by former work colleague Nick (John Michael Higgins), Carl enters into a “yes” covenant requiring him to answer yes - to everything. As the detached Carl begins recklessly saying yes to every proposition presented, he finds his life invaded by strangers and even stranger situations.
Though Yes Man’s theme is unashamedly life-affirming, it’s not cloying. Carrey, on his best behaviour here, is suitably restrained - even subtle - as the carping lead. Carrey’s containment gives the impression he might explode into untold wackiness at any moment, giving Carl a complex edge.
Zooey Deschanel delights as usual, playing a familiar quirky love interest. Though the chemistry between the leads is a little strained, with Carrey looking altogether too old for Deschanel, it’s only mildly distracting.
It might be all cliché, but thanks to likeable actors and a script that doesn’t go for too much, the message gets through anyway.
We hear her voice before we see her. As the camera pans across the cold streets of New York City Reese Holdin’s (Zooey Deschanel) voice interrupts the urban blare with a fragile description of “her” apartment. Except, it’s not her apartment. Reese Holdin is an actress. She’s auditioning for a part. We’re fooled for a split second. And yet, when the truth is revealed, something of the illusion remains. Reese, like the part that she hopes to land, is damaged.
Zooey Deschanel gives yet another understated performance that captivates from the get-go. The slow, muted story suits her pokerfaced style. Surpringly, Will Ferrell turns up as the off-centre Corbit. Here, Ferrell isn’t flashing his over-the-top comic wares but instead, gives a gentle performance like that in Stranger than Fiction. It’s also nice to see the underexposed Amelia Warner, who seems to have been on the cusp of stardom for years now.
Though nothing much in the way of action happens, glimpses into Reese’s existence reveal more and more of her character. Right from the start we’re asking the questions: “What happened to Reese. Why is she the way she is?” Adam Rapp’s script deliberately lets the question hang in the air. There is a climax to it all towards the end, but the resolution feels more mutual than explosive. And that feels right - fitting with the deliberately slow pace of the rest of the film.
