Review of The Best and the Brightest (2010) by Jazminn H — 07 Oct 2011
A movie that only pretends to be about the competitiveness of elite private schools for children in New York City; The Best and the Brightest uses cute, little kids even more shamelessly than politicians and car salesmen use them.
Hiding behind the facade of a semi-sweet and innocent family comedy (a young couple from Delaware wants to enter their already five-year-old daughter into one of NYC's most prestigious kindergartens [which is UNTHINKABLE!]) is a smutty, foul-mouthed adult sleaze-fest who's second half of the film takes place mostly within a swingers' sex club! This can actually be called a farce .
.. as it is both a literal and a figurative one and it becomes most disturbing with the callous accusations and raunchy antics all of these adults (with kids nearby) casually lay upon one another. In some far-fetched and ridiculous scheme, the young couple from Delaware (Neil Patrick Harris and Bonnie Somerville) blackmail a way for their daughter into the school of their choice by using sext-messages as poetry (written by a college friend of his played by Peter Serafinowicz) to melt the icy heart and exterior of the school's headmistress (Jenna Stern).
On the school board are an ultimate horndog male-slut (Christopher McDonald) and his politician wife (Kate Mulgrew) who somehow grow oddly attached to the "poet" NPH pretends to be throughout the entire movie.
It is difficult to explain what it is I just watched -- it started out as a kiddie-comedy but devolved into a sleaze-fest that I was embarassed to actually finish. 95% of the later-dialogue is unnecessary and simply tries to be risque (NPH's poems are horrendous and even pretentious snobs wouldn't feign admiration of them just because he is a "modern day poet").
Ugh ... there is NOTHING "best" or "brightest" here. I don't enjoy smut ... and that is what we have here. If you think smut and kindergarten comedy go hand-in-hand, this might be the ideal movie for you; but .
.. otherwise. No.
This review of The Best and the Brightest (2010) was written by Jazminn H on 07 Oct 2011.
The Best and the Brightest has generally received negative reviews.
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