Review of The Details (2012) by Christopher H — 11 Sep 2013

Putting my dislike for Tobey Maguire aside, "The Details" remains entertaining despite a constant shift between quirky comedy and thoughtful drama. The question burning on my mind was how Jeff Lang (Macguire) could have gone so long prior to this film's events without messing everything up completely, because "The Details" is that film where the lead character falls down a rabbit hole of mistakes.

Sexually frustrated and boyish ignorant, Jeff cheats on his wife twice, gets his neighbor's cat killed, and loses a ridiculous amount of money, all to keep his wife from finding out. The only difference, in this film, is that all the characters are equally bad and the eventual conclusion is original in that most "rabbit hole" films don't take the higher road where those affected understand the predicaments at hand.

Elizabeth Banks does a decent job remaining likable as the stuffy stay-at-home mom, Macguire does nothing to change my slanted opinion about him, and in very small roles, Kerry Washington and Dennis Haysbert blow me away with their impeccable ability to embody their characters and instantly garner emotions toward them.

Haysbert's character is by far the best thing about the film and produces most of the serious emotions brought on throughout the film, which makes his eventual arc that much more sad and disturbing.

Had the entire film focused on a level of emotion like this, it would have completely stood apart from any quirky comedies today. Instead, its absurdity brings it to the same base level that come from most swept-under-the-rug comedies.