Review of About Alex (2014) by Chris R — 29 Mar 2017

Oh look! Another movie about a group of friends who drifted apart coming together again, airing out their grievances, and making some sort of amends. That is something that has never been done before, right? And look at that poster. Is that not the most generic movie poster ever? Despite the lack of originality in the initial impression Jesse Zwick's About Alex is well-written with strong performances.

The even that brings this group of college buddies back together for the weekend is the attempted suicide of Alex (Jason Ritter). And though the movie is called About Alex, it is not just about him. The title is a big lie! It's also about the other five friends (and the one outsider character who just drifts in and out of the story randomly).

All the characters felt like real people, though they hit on many clichés - struggling writer, technology hating intellectual, etc. Every character is messed up in their own way. Because of the play-like nature of the film, it is very reliant on the dialogue and acting. Both are great for the most part. The writing does falter at times, becoming too exposition-heavy. Also, some scenes seem out of place and unnecessary. Overall, the drama and tension builds well and culminates in a powerful scene.

Jesse Zwick created a film with intriguing characters, entertaining dialogue, all surrounding the dark topic of suicide. Though it is full of clichés it is a high quality entry in the indy comedy-drama genre that is full of a bunch of crap.