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[theenthusiasticcinephile]

Not Fade Away

1 hour 52 minutes

Rated R (Pervasive Language, Some Drug Use and Sexual Content)

Directed by David Chase

Starring John Magaro, Will Brill, Jack Huston, Bella Heathcote, Brad Garrett, James Gandolfini, and Christopher McDonald

2 out of 4 stars

IN THEATERS NOW.

The 60s were awesome. I think we all know that already. Drugs. Rock & roll. Sex. Hippies. We also know that the 60s were not awesome because of Vietnam, Kennedy's assassination, and the fear that Commies were hiding in the US. When we think of this decade dozens of images pop in our heads. This has been done numerous times in cinema, which might explain why Not Fade Away is less than memorable. I saw the movie at the Philly Film Festival three months ago and was less than impressed. The soundtrack is awesome, yes, and the movie is passionate in showing the genuine feel of the 60s. So why does it feel so boring? Why does it feel so unnecessary? It's written and directed by David Chase, the guy who created The Sopranos. This is his first feature. He was born in the 40s and grew up in a suburban town in New Jersey. He witnessed everything: the music, the freedom, the drugs, etc. His father was strict and hated the 60s culture while his mother was a "passive-aggressive drama queen" (and yes, that's a direct quote from Chase. Thank you wikipedia). It's great when people write about what they love. Chase loves the 60s, but he's made a movie that's too dependent on atmosphere rather than story and interesting characters.

John Magaro plays Douglas, an early 20s student returning home from college to his small, New Jersey house. His father Pat (James Gandolfini) seems like a caricature of Chase's father. He's strict but loving. He feels it's best for his son to join the military and join the Vietnam cause. Douglas thinks whatever and agrees with his dad until his friend Eugene (Jack Huston), the lead singer of a rock & roll band, asks him to join the group as drummer along with other guitarists Wells (Will Brill) and Joe (Brahm Vaccarella). Douglas instantly falls in love with the music genre and we get that cliched image of him looking at a guitar through a store window. He changes his look and grows his hair out to make him look like Bob Dylan. He begins to cherish rock & roll icons like Rolling Stones and Buddy Holly. Pat is totally against this and represents tradition over change. Douglas slowly turns into a hippie, ignoring his father's remarks or responding with smart-ass comments about the worthlessness of war and importance of free love.

The band starts out well. They go to a house party in town where Douglas catches eyes with Grace (Bella Heathcote), a pretty girl he used to like in high school. "We talked, right?" Douglas asks. "Once. You asked me something about the pencil sharpener," responds Grace. Well, lucky for Grace, Douglas is a new man. A hotter, less introverted youth. At the party Eugene ends up getting too high on pot and Douglas is forced to take his spot as lead singer. He does it, and of course he's amazing and better than his friend. Eugene hates this while Grace convinces Douglas he should be lead singer because his voice has more soul than Eugene's. The two start hooking up. There's a tragedy in town. Pat gets more angry and starts to bring out his Tony Soprano side. Blah blah blah. Everything that you can possibly imagine would happen in a 60s adolescent coming-of-age tale happens in Not Fade Away. This is a story about a group of youths trying to figure out their lives to the dismay of their parents. That's interesting, but it's also been done to death. Just typing "trying to figure out their lives" feels like a cliche.

The "tragedy" scene of the movie is actually laughable. If this actually happened in Chase's life and the director happens to be reading this then I'M SORRY. I didn't know. In the movie it just comes off as silly. My main problem was the characters. The only standout performance here is from Gandolfini. There's a scene where he has dinner with his son and confesses something. It's a heartbreaking moment and glorifies Gandolfini as a serious actor. Magaro, on the other hand, is kinda boring here. Douglas joins in with the drug/sex/rock & roll-obsessed culture like any other youth would in the 60s, but the character isn't sensitive enough to make us care for him. The biggest disappointment of Not Fade Away is how Chase lays back and makes us observe every moment of the decade. It's a nostalgic movie for sure, but in this case there needs to be a stronger story. Nothing really adds up to anything here. The movie is unnecessarily 112 minutes long but feels even longer than that.

There seems to be a connection between the music and the story here. Perhaps I wasn't listening to the lyrics close enough. This is a self-indulgent throwback to a fun decade with nothing strong to say, really.

[theenthusiasticcinephile]

Jeff, Who Lives at Home

1 hour 23 minutes

Rated R (Language Including Sexual References and Some Drug Use)

Directed by Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass

Starring Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer, and Susan Sarandon

3 out of 4 stars

IN THEATERS NOW.

Jeff talks into his voice recorder about the movie Signs. He ponders why everyone thinks Abigail Breslin is weird in the movie. She doesn't drink any water, but this habit of hers ends up saving her and her family at the end. She's a genius for following the signs in her life. The camera cuts back. Jeff is on the toilet. This is the opening of Jeff, Who Lives at Home, a sweet, gentle, and intelligently written comedy about family. Right away this is an excellent character, a man fascinated by spirituality and the belief that everything has a purpose in life. It's written and directed by the Duplass Brothers (Mark, of which, is a growing actor most popular for his role on FX's The League), whose last movie Cyrus creeped me out a lot but also moved me. These guys have a strong grasp on what they want their movies to be about and never go off topic. In Jeff, Who Lives at Home, they want to talk about family but also the little things in our life that we ignore that end up serving a purpose. Its ending is a tad too far-fetched, but it gives the movie a fable-esque type of feeling to it.

Jeff (played by Jason Segel) is a 30 year old pothead loser living with his mother Sharon (Susan Sarandon) in Baton Rouge. His older brother Pat (Ed Helms) has a job, but he's having awful problems with his wife Linda (Judy Greer). One day Jeff gets a phone call. It's a man asking for Kevin. Jeff says he's got the wrong number and the guy hangs up. This has to be a sign. "Kevin" needs to be found because it will change Jeff's life. For the rest of the day the slacker goes off into the town and searches for this mysterious individual. He sees a young man wearing a basketball jersey with the name Kevin on back of it. He hangs out with him, but the guy ends up robbing him. Soon Jeff runs into Pat, who's obviously frustrated with his brother because he won't grow up. He thinks Jeff's belief that a man named Kevin will change is life is ridiculous, but starts to go along with it when he sees Linda with another guy at a restaurant.

The brothers follow her around and the comedy sets in. Meanwhile Sharon is having some issues of her own. She works a boring job in a cubicle and is tired of growing up. Her husband has died and she hasn't been with a guy since then. Suddenly she starts receiving AIM messages from a secret admirer saying that he likes her. She tries to find out who he is, and the surprise is shocking but sweet. This is pretty much a movie about a family of three trying to solve their own problems, but there's something really fresh and whimsical about it. The Duplass Brothers' dialogue is quick and natural, and the cast is very exceptional as well. Segel and Helms are genuine comedians but they portray real people here, not guys on stage with a microphone. The comedy bits aren't over the top but realistic. I remember when I watched Cyrus with my friends some of them were disappointed because they expected John C. Reilly and Jonah Hill to act their usual crazy selves but didn't. The Duplass Brothers avoid slapstick mayhem and focus on their story and characters more, something that a lot of comedies with big stars refuse to do.

The finale of the movie is a little out of the ordinary and forced, but it mostly works. I do believe that there are signs in life that lead to important events, though I don't think they're as Hollywood as the one in Jeff, Who Lives at Home. We also don't learn that much about Jeff and Pat's deceased father even though he seemed to affect their lives (nor do we really learn WHY Jeff is an unemployed pot smoker). The Duplass Brothers also have a problem where they like to zoom in on a handheld camera whenever they feel like it when all it does is make us dizzy. Yet these are only minor problems, and though the movie is only 83 minutes long it feels just right.