Sept 24: Mansome

"A documentary that explores the question: In the age of manscaping, metrosexuals, and grooming products galore - what does it mean to be a man?"

Directed by: Morgan Spurlock, Rated: PG-13, 82 minutes

I've always been a fan of Morgan Spurlock. Ever since his breakout documentary, Super Size Me, I've followed the guy and all of his work. From his TV show, 30 Days, to even his lesser known (and liked) docs, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? and The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, I've liked his work. His newest film, Mansome is far from his best, but still is very entertaining as a whole. While it is an incredibly short, flawed, and confused little documentary, there are still a handful of laughs and much to discuss. 

You can't say Mansome without the Old Spice guy. 

The documentary discusses what it means to be a man. Breaking the doc into segments like "Mustaches" and "Beards", each bit discusses a particular manly feature and its significance in the world, what's okay and what's not cool, and wonders how much time and effort should be put into each. The film follows a couple of rather eccentric men, from a competitive "beardsman" (who's absolutely crazy and full of himself), to men who try way, way too hard to look good and end up looking like vain fools obsessed with every little detail.  Between each segment, we see Jason Bateman and Will Arnett (who co-produced the film) having their own pamper time at a spa, discussing what it means to be a man and continually trying to out-man the other guy. Along with these two stars, Spurlock also interviews other comedians, like Judd Apatow, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, and Adam Carolla. 

This guy is one of the most arrogant douche bags I've seen, and Spurlock rewards him with 15 minutes of screen time. 

The problem with the film is that it never knows where to go. The film's segments make sense at first, but then as you realize the whole premise behind the title goes out the window. Going in, I was expecting the movie to discuss the entire "metrosexual" phenomena that has plagued mankind in the past decade or so, talking about hair products and going to the spa more so then beards and facial hair. Without this focus, Mansome just jumps around all over the place and turns into a rather forced, sometimes funny documentary. The subjects Spurlock decided to focus on are at times, the most annoying self-involved people I've ever seen and instead of almost poking fun at them in a spoof-haha kind of way, he lets them be on screen doing whatever they want for way too long. Bateman and Arnett's presence also is very out of place. Sure, they're funny and I could watch them talk to each other for ages, but for the most time it feels forced and even more so out of place. As their bits could have been used as a quasi-narration, they turn into almost scripted pieces that don't fit in with the rest of the doc at all. One thing I did really enjoy, however, are the small interviews Spurlock does with random people, standing in front of a simple white screen, talking about facial hair, waxing, and what it takes to be a real man. These moments are very enjoyable and feel the least bit scripted, as opposed to large portions of the rest of the film. 

Arrested Development needs to come back... NOW

Even with it's flaws, the film is worth checking out. If you can get past the fact it's all just jumbled together in a very short run-time, and just watch it for a couple of laughs, you'll have a great time. If, however, you go into Mansome thinking that it's going to be some message ridden doc, full of mind-blowing facts or looks into the world of being a man, you'll be highly mistaken. Most of the movie feels like short stand-up bits strung together with seasoned comedians thrown in to spice things up a bit. While the insight of some of our favorite funny guys would seem to be more than something we'd welcome, it takes a lot away from the film. Mansome has a great idea behind it, but it's execution is just too choppy and messy to really enjoy. 

The Good:

moments of brilliance that are not only laugh-out-loud funny, but make you wonder about your own 'grooming' habits

The Bad:

those same moments almost immediately washed away by stories no one cares about and the realization Spurlock is giving screen time to people far deserving of it

The Ugly:

knowing that a great premise like this could have produced a much better documentary, had there been a stronger focus and better narrative

Overall: 6.3/10

July 17: Wanderlust

"Rattled by sudden unemployment, a Manhattan couple surveys alternative living options, ultimately deciding to experiment with living on a rural commune where free love rules."

Directed by: David Wain, Rated: R, 98 minutes

Wanderlust feels like a bad episode of some sitcom, where the cast goes out of their comfort zones (off set) and takes a little field trip to a cliche-ridden commune. The jokes are flat and very inconsistent and turns Wanderlust into a series of recycled skits that never amount to anything. It's too messy for its own good and the cluttered script tries way too hard to include every joke possible about hippies, drugs, free love, and nudists. Even the great Paul Rudd can't save the movie, and while he certainly provides the most laughs, they are nowhere near enough to keep the film afloat. Jennifer Anniston provides her usual charm as well, but to no great effect. The two leads really could have been played by anyone and Wanderlust still would have turned out as bad as it has. 

Bad, Paul Rudd! Bad!... aww... look at him. He's too hard to be angry with. 

Wanderlust tells the story of George and Linda, two Manhattan busy-bodies who find themselves out of work and out of money and decide to move to Atlanta to stay with George's brother (Ken Marino). Along the way, they stop at what appears to be a bed and breakfast, but turns out to be a free-love, all-sharing commune run by an acid-ruined hippie from the 60s (Alan Alda). After leaving after just one night, the couple arrive at George's brother's house and almost immediately decide that they can't live with him or his ego. Without anywhere else to go, George and Linda decide to head back to the commune and give that life a chance for two weeks. Of course, nothing is quite as good as it seems and while George begins to see the disadvantages of living in a house without doors and boundaries, Linda embraces the life. The two's relationship begins to be tested and the seemingly straw that breaks the camel's back is the possibility of open relationships. Both love each other, but as the "charismatic" Seth (Anniston's real-life beau, Justin Theroux) makes plenty of moves on Linda and the sexy Eva (Malin Akerman) throws herself at George, that love is tested and pushed to the limits. Throw in a nudist/novelist/wine-maker (Joe Lo Truglio who provides the most laughs and most interesting story), a frumpy "counselor" (Kerri Kenney) that wants you to beat the crap out of each other with truth, and a barren ex-porn star (Kathryn Hahn) and you get an idea of how bizarre Wanderlust really is. And no, it is not as interesting as that sounds. 

How many times have we seen an awkward toilet conversation with people who have no recognition of personal space? 

As I mentioned earlier, the best part of the movie is the nudist, Wayne. Although his appearance throws you off (yes, you see it all), he's the only character in the commune who's really just happy being himself without going overboard on the crazy. Unfortunately, even Wayne falls apart at the end, as writer/director David Wain f**ks everything up with a stupid as hell conclusion. I can't say that any of the characters really developed throughout the film or really even learned much more than the fact you need to relax a little more often. The cast, although talented, portray ridiculous caricatures of every hippie idea and notion to the point of being more annoying than anything else. There's just too much going on stuffed inside a 98 minute film. Instead of a strong story with funny elements, Wanderlust takes the route of combining as many different skits and stringing them together like some variety comedy show. 

Like this, but the shit that's being aired nowadays and not like how it was. You know, when it was actually funny. 

Wanderlust is terribly hit and miss (more miss) and I'd recommend staying away from it. It's also worth mentioning that Wanderlust is extremely vulgar and graphic, but never put to great use. It's simply too over-the-top to be thoroughly enjoyable and makes you kind of cringe more than laugh out loud. It's a really f**ked up movie that tries to combine crossing the line and heart, but fails miserably. The few jokes that are genuinely funny are great, but everything makes you kind of hate yourself for watching this, let alone wondering how the likes of Rudd and Anniston could find themselves involved with it. As Rudd is usually incredible, I can let this one go, but if director David Wain can't turn his act around, I'm going to have to ask that his film-making license be revoked. 

The Good:

only a couple of jokes that hit the mark as well as a friendly little nudist named Wayne

The Bad:

inconsistent comedy that can't find out where it should go, so instead, becomes so vulgar and over-the-top 

The Ugly:

wondering how so many familar faces would object themselves to such crap and how "filmmaker" David Wain was able to gather them together

Overall: 4.0/10

Trailer: