Review of Cyrus (2010) by Stuart K — 01 Feb 2011

Written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass, (whose debut Baghead (2008) got critical acclaim, and produced by Ridley and Tony Scott, this is an odd comedy-drama that has ever-so-slight overtones of The Cable Guy running through it's veins.

But, it has some good performances. It has divorcee John (John C. Reilly) struggling to adjust to life after his divorce from ex-wife Jamie (Catherine Keener). But, when Jamie suggests John goes to a party, he meets Molly (Marisa Tomei), a beautiful woman who see's a kindred spirit in John, and the two begin a relationship.

All seems like it's coming up roses for John, and then he goes to Molly's house and meets her 21-year-old son Cyrus (Jonah Hill), who is still living there. He's an aspiring musician, and Cyrus and Molly are very close, not like a normal mother and son relationship, this one is much more deeper and unconventional.

With Cyrus in the way, John finds is much harder to make his relationship with Molly work, and then Cyrus, both intentionally and unintentionally, intereferes with John and Molly's romance, in order to keep his mother.

Shot in a queasy Dogma 95 style, it's a very unconventional film, quite creepy in places, and one with a Oedipus Rex complex about it. Reilly is wonderful as always, but Hill is the real standout, showing much more mature talent about him.

He'll go onto greater things.