Movie Review I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With

I want Someone to Eat Cheese (2007) 

Directed by Jeff Garlin

Written by Jeff Garlin

Starring Jeff Garlin, Sarah Silverman, Bonnie Hunt, Mina Kolb

Release Date September 5th, 2007 

Published September 25th, 2007 

If Hollywood won't cast you as the lead in a movie, make your own. That is what comedian and Curb Your Enthusiasm cast Jeff Garlin has done. I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With is Garlin gathering his friends, mostly from Chicago's Second City Comedy troupe, and making a movie that he can star in. Garlin produced, wrote the screenplay and directed I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With and it has the breezy, good natured tone of friends getting together to chat and make each other laugh. If the film occasionally strains for the laughs or goes just slightly over the top, it's okay because we like these characters and we especially like Garlin.

James (Garlin) has 3 very distinct problems. First is his weight, when we meet him he is outside a convenience store gorging on junk food and milk. Later he sneaks out of an overeaters anonymous meeting to go for ice cream. Next is the fact that at 39 he still lives with his mother (Mina Kolb). And lastly is his career where opportunities are beginning to dry up. Refusing to leave Chicago for Los Angeles, where there are far more jobs for a working actor, James is biding his time with the Second City Improv troupe as he awaits another opportunity.

James feels however that these problems would mean a whole lot less if he just had someone to eat cheese with, a cute metaphor invented by Beth (Sarah Silverman) as she and James observe a couple in the park sharing wine and cheese. James thinks that maybe he could share some cheese with Beth but she's a little crazy. When they meet she immediately frightens him with blunt sex talk. Later she invites him along as she shops for underwear. Is she toying with him or does she have real interest in him? We really can't tell. Then there is Stella (Bonnie Hunt) a school teacher who James runs into repeatedly and despite obvious chemistry, James fails to recognize the real possibilities with her.

The film sets up two distinct options for James and though one seems obviously right and the other obviously wrong, we are ok with James' mistake. It's a natural, human mistake and we have faith it will be corrected by the end of the film's very brief 80 minute runtime. Garlin's skill is not great romantic comedy but rather finding comedy in the everyday, mundane actions of the lives of these characters. The conversations, the rhythms of the everyday are organic and familiar in a friendly way. Especially funny are the conversations between James and his best friend Luca, played by David Pasquesi. Garlin and Pasquesi have been friends for years, from their time in Second City, and the natural rhythm of their conversations definitely shows.

There are awkward moments. Amy Sedaris has a cameo as a school guidance counselor that feels a little under-rehearsed. Also Sarah Silverman at times pushes past just being a little shocking and into off-putting territory. Again, a little bit too much improv likely leads to a little too much freedom and Silverman goes over the top. I still believed the character, because I know a number of shocking and slightly nuts gals, Silverman just takes it a little too far in one or two scenes. On the other hand, I did love Garlin's reaction to these awkward moments. His discomfort with her open sexuality is very sweet. Rarely do we get characters who don't just resist being a lech but really try to avoid the impression of a lecherous thought.

Charming, easygoing, with some really big laughs and a number of minor chuckles, I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With is a real delight.

Movie Review: Wall-E

Wall-E (2008) 

Directed by Andrew Stanton

Written by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon

Starring Zooey Deschanel, Ben Burtt, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, Sigourney Weaver

Release Date June 27th, 2008

Published June 26th, 2008

Pixar has long been at the cutting edge of computer animation. The key to keeping that edge has as much to do with the latest in technology as with maintaining strong relationships with the most creative minds in the animation biz. People like Finding Nemo creator Andrew Stanton. It was Stanton who dedicated years to the story of a father and son fish who got seperated and had to find each other.

And it is Stanton who returned to work as soon as he wrapped Finding Nemo, on the story of a lonely robot who falls in love. The result of another 5 years of hard work is Wall-E the latest masterpiece from the company that has revolutionized the way we view animation.

It is the year 2700 and humans are long gone from earth. No they weren't wiped out by a nuke or anything post-apocalyptic like. Rather, humanity abandoned it's garbage overflowing planet in favor of a giant, corporate owned space ship while they wait for earth to be cleaned up. The clean up of the planet was left to robots called Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth Class or WALL-E units.

Several hundred years after the first WALL-E units were put to work only one remains. WALL-E has, in his years alone, evolved. He has a personality. His childlike curiosity leads him to collect items of the garbage he busily compacts into cubes for stacking, and keep them in his little home that he has built for himself. 

WALL-E even has a friend, a cockroach who follows him everywhere. WALL-E's tranquility is upended one day by the arrival of a spaceship and a beautiful modern robot that we soon learn is called EVE. It is is Eve's job to search earth for plant life and report back to the spaceship. If she finds something alive, humans may be able to return to earth.

For WALL-E seeing Eve inspires love at first sight and eventually he wins her over. When Eve is called back to the spaceship WALL-E tags along and a whole new adventure begins.

The script for WALL-E has a number of wonderful twists and turns and a central romance between WALL-E and Eve that is more touching than 99% of the romantic comedies we've been subjected to over the past decade. Writer-director Andrew Stanton's wondrous sense of detail applies not merely to the cutting edge animation but also to the characters who are rich, elegant studies of romantic and even science fiction heroes.

The key to WALL-E is it's abundance of heart. If you can watch WALL-E and not be moved by this sweet, sensitive, smart story then you need to see a shrink. This is some of the finest character work we have seen in any movie in years. WALL-E, Eve and the humans aboard the forever orbiting spaceship, especially the captain wonderfully voiced by comic Jeff Garlin, have these rich inner lives that are delicately revealed in smart, sensible doses.

On top of the terrific characters and the romance is a smart sci fi story that goes as far as to adhere to Asimov's 3 rules for robot behavior. The three rules, do no harm, obey commands and protect itself, are played out in important and exciting fashion. I cannot stress enough the extraordinary attention to detail in this script that combines terrific sci fi, a little mystery, a great romance and even a big dance number..

WALL-E truly has it all.

Pixar has done it again. I love, love, love, love this movie. Andrew Stanton, Brad Bird and John Lasseter working under the Pixar banner have delivered the most consistent quality product of any studio in the business. Even as that business tries to limit them by labeling animation a kids genre, these brilliant artists have done more to advance the artform of feature length film than any group of directors you can name.

When Oscar comes around next year it will be a herculean effort for the academy to limit WALL-E to the mere animation Oscar category. WALL-E is a serious, undeniable candidate for the big prize and don't be surprised when it becomes the first Pixar film to break the ranks of live action domination of Best Picture.

WALL-E is just that good. 

Movie Review: Daddy Day Care

Daddy Day Care (2003)

Directed by Steve Carr 

Written by Geoff Rodkey 

Starring Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin, Steve Zahn, Regina King, Anjelica Huston 

Release Date May 9th, 2003 

Published May 10th, 2003 

How many times can one actor be written off? If you’re Eddie Murphy, apparently as many times as you can make a movie. Every time Eddie comes out with a film it's greeted by cynics in my profession as his last chance to be a big star. And each time, Eddie comes back. Eddie has found the back door to maintaining a waning career. He has sold his cool action-comedy persona and adopted a kid-friendly persona that has proven to a career salvation. His latest by-the-numbers kid friendly flick is Daddy Day Care, a rote family comedy, factory produced by the Hollywood machine.

In Daddy Day Care, Murphy is Charlie, an ad executive who loses his job after a product he was working on tanks badly with test audiences (how amazingly ironic). Left at home waiting for responses to his resume, Charlie gets to spend some much needed private time with his son Ben (Khamani Griffin). One day Charlie takes Ben to the park and has a conversation with a mom desperate for a new day care center. With this inspiration and the help of a friend who also lost his job, Phil (Jeff Garlin, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Charlie opens a day care center in his home.

Regina King plays Charlie's wife though it's difficult to tell as she disappears as quickly as she's introduced. Steve Zahn rounds out the cast as a doofy assistant with a fetish for Star Trek and a knack for dealing with kids. Speaking of the kids, none of the little actors makes much of an impression beyond being cute.

The setup is so simple it must have taken all of an hour to think of and write down. Well known personality is paired with a group of cute kids. We haven't seen this teaming but, oh, a dozen or so times, and Daddy Day Care doesn't have much of anything new to add to this familiar story. Even the great Anjelica Huston can't do anything to make this film interesting with her role as the film’s villainous pre-school owner Ms. Harridan. Get it, harridan, oh so clever.

Daddy Day Care isn't offensive, it's not poorly made and to it's credit it doesn't overdo the bathroom humor that has become a staple of similar films. Director Steve Carr, who previously directed Murphy in Dr. Dolittle, shows once again that he is a technically proficient director in that he knows where to point the camera and shoot. That said he brings little else to this uninteresting and overly familiar movie.

Movie Review: The Rocker

The Rocker (2008) 

Directed by Peter Cattaneo 

Written by Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky 

Starring Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate, Jeff Garlin, Josh Gad, Teddy Geiger, Emma Stone 

Release Date August 20th, 2008 

Published August 19th, 2008 

The premise of The Rocker sounds like a movie Jack Black turned down. A 40 something former drummer for an 80's hair band ends up broke, living in his sister's attic before ending up playing drums for his nephews band. It reads like a sequel to School of Rock, with a few minor tweaks. The Rocker doesn't star Jack Black however but Rainn Wilson, from TV's The Office. Even though the premise sets him up for failure, Wilson acquits himself well in the shadow of JB, and gives  a good time rocking performance.

22 years ago Vesuvius was a heavy metal band on the verge of major record label success and their drummer, Robert 'Fish' Fishman was about live his rock star dream. The success came but not for Robert who the band dropped in favor of the label owners nephew. After losing out on rock stardom,  Robert spent the next 22 years a bitter mess, working as an office drone, longing to recapture the glory of rock. 

After losing his job Robert is forced to move in with his sister (Jane Lynch), her husband (Jeff Garlin) and his nephew Matt (Josh Gad). Matt is in a band and in a not so surprising twist of plot, the band just lost their drummer, two days before their first gig, playing the prom. Matt's bandmates, brooding singer Curtis (Teddy Geiger), and female bassist Amelia (Emma Stone, Superbad), want to find a more age appropriate drummer but Matt pushes for uncle Fish.

Though he nearly blows the prom gig, Fish turns out to be a great drummer and a strong positive influence on the band. When a YouTube video of Fish playing drums naked gets the band's music heard by millions, stardom comes knocking for a second time and Fish has the kind of second chance that doesn't come around very often.

The Rocker has a strict adherence to convention that is really the antithesis of rock n' roll. The film proceeds from one plot point to the next like clockwork. If you can't predict every step of this movie from beginning to end you are not trying. Director Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty), directing a script by former Simpsons scribe Wallace Wolodarsky and Maya Forbes; moves the undistinguished screenplay from paper to screen with little innovation or invention.

All of the success of The Rocker lies in the performance of Rainn Wilson and lucky we are that he is up to the challenge. Wilson's Rocker is sloppy and dull witted, obtuse and self-involved, but he's also sweet, funny and earnestly committed to the life and love of being a rock star. Fish seems to genuinely care about the kids in the band and despite his excesses, he eventually proves himself as a positive force.

Wilson's performance plays well with the overall familiarity of the plot, making the predictability easier to take because the vibe is so congenial. The Rocker is so gentle and feather light that it floats by. 88 minutes is really all this plot could sustain and the filmmakers were smart not to let the movie linger. As much as we like Wilson's performance, by the end we are ready to say goodbye. 

Another smart decision by the makers of The Rocker was hiring Chad Fischer to write the music for the film. Often a movie about musicians will skimp on the music. The pop tunes of The Rocker, sung by star Teddy Geiger, are really good pop tunes, songs you can believe would become top ten radio hits. If the film is a hit don't be surprised to hear a song like 'Tomorrow Never Comes' or 'Bitter' make a radio splash.

The Rocker is annoyingly formulaic but star Rainn Wilson and the music of Teddy Geiger and Chad Fischer keep it from becoming tedious. Wilson is a star on the rise and he appears to have a bright future as a goofball leading man. See The Rocker for Rainn Wilson and stay for the surprisingly strong pop tunes of Geiger and Fischer. Yes, you will see every turn of plot coming, but Rainn Wilson, at the very least, will keeping you smiling through the predictability.