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Director: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass; Screenwriter: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass; Starring: Marisa Tomei, Catherine Keener, Jonah Hill, John C. Reilly, Katie Aselton; Running time: 92 mins; Certificate: 15
Mumblecore peeked over the Hollywood Hills earlier this year when Ben Stiller played a shambolic man experiencing a middle-age funk in Noah Baumbach's Greenberg. Now, two of its pioneers - filmmaking siblings Jay and Mark Duplass - are launching it into the mainstream with Cyrus, a wry comedy about a shambolic man (John C. Reilly this time) experiencing a middle-age funk. Oddly it's produced by Ridley and Tony Scott, although besides the strong character work that was the hallmark of Tony's earlier films, this is light years removed from the bombastic epics of the Brit duo's.
Cyrus centres on John, a 40-something who's seven years out of a marriage to Jamie (Catherine Keener) and still struggling to patch his life back together. Jamie has moved on and is about to remarry, but she's still close to John and they share a comfortable rapport despite having long parted ways romantically. The story is set in motion when Jamie manages to cajole a downbeat John out to a party. For the most part he's wallowing, but you get a sense he may have once been the life and soul of such occasions. Several vodka and Red Bulls later, he's loosened up and howling along to The Human League's 'Don't You Want Me'. The scene is probably one of the most memorable in the film - as John winds down his rendition after failing to get the crowd going, Molly (Marisa Tomei), a girl he'd just spoken to while urinating in a hedge, joins in and the room comes alive.
John and Molly quickly fall into a relationship, yet she twice sneaks out during the night prompting him to worry that she's married. John tails her back to her home and discovers that the other man in her life isn't a husband, but her 21-year-old stay-at-home son Cyrus (Jonah Hill). Cyrus is unnaturally close to his mother, entering the bathroom when she's showering and wrestling with her in the park. Cyrus appears to have no problem with John, they bond over his dreadful electro music and the dinner table banter appears to be good-natured if a little bizarre. "Seriously, don't f**k my mum," Cyrus jokes at one point.
Things take a turn for the dark, though, as John begins to get between Cyrus and his mother. At first his beloved Adidas trainers vanish, then Cyrus gradually becomes a master manipulator to draw Molly away from her new boyfriend. As things get squirmier, Cyrus flies the nest leaving his mother emotionally distraught, only to return promptly when it doesn't work out. Soon, John and Cyrus are waging war behind Molly's back and it's here that the Duplass brothers excel. The desperation displayed in Reilly and Hill's face-off becomes dramatic and, in some instances, surprisingly tense.
The three central performances are excellent, Hill in particular is brilliant in the title role. His cold stare makes the character almost impossible to read and the way he subtly shifts from passive-aggressiveness to physical violence is expertly done. Cyrus isn't going to please fans of Hill's more rambunctious comedies, but it's a skilfully crafted character study that operates under a cloud of cringing humour similar to the one that's become a Ricky Gervais staple.
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Cyrus centres on John, a 40-something who's seven years out of a marriage to Jamie (Catherine Keener) and still struggling to patch his life back together. Jamie has moved on and is about to remarry, but she's still close to John and they share a comfortable rapport despite having long parted ways romantically. The story is set in motion when Jamie manages to cajole a downbeat John out to a party. For the most part he's wallowing, but you get a sense he may have once been the life and soul of such occasions. Several vodka and Red Bulls later, he's loosened up and howling along to The Human League's 'Don't You Want Me'. The scene is probably one of the most memorable in the film - as John winds down his rendition after failing to get the crowd going, Molly (Marisa Tomei), a girl he'd just spoken to while urinating in a hedge, joins in and the room comes alive.
John and Molly quickly fall into a relationship, yet she twice sneaks out during the night prompting him to worry that she's married. John tails her back to her home and discovers that the other man in her life isn't a husband, but her 21-year-old stay-at-home son Cyrus (Jonah Hill). Cyrus is unnaturally close to his mother, entering the bathroom when she's showering and wrestling with her in the park. Cyrus appears to have no problem with John, they bond over his dreadful electro music and the dinner table banter appears to be good-natured if a little bizarre. "Seriously, don't f**k my mum," Cyrus jokes at one point.
Things take a turn for the dark, though, as John begins to get between Cyrus and his mother. At first his beloved Adidas trainers vanish, then Cyrus gradually becomes a master manipulator to draw Molly away from her new boyfriend. As things get squirmier, Cyrus flies the nest leaving his mother emotionally distraught, only to return promptly when it doesn't work out. Soon, John and Cyrus are waging war behind Molly's back and it's here that the Duplass brothers excel. The desperation displayed in Reilly and Hill's face-off becomes dramatic and, in some instances, surprisingly tense.
The three central performances are excellent, Hill in particular is brilliant in the title role. His cold stare makes the character almost impossible to read and the way he subtly shifts from passive-aggressiveness to physical violence is expertly done. Cyrus isn't going to please fans of Hill's more rambunctious comedies, but it's a skilfully crafted character study that operates under a cloud of cringing humour similar to the one that's become a Ricky Gervais staple.
> What do you think of the movie? Share your views
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