Review of The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (2008) by Sebastian J — 13 Apr 2009

I don't understand the wave of hate directed towards this adaptation. I'm tempted to send my positive review to the website for the misunderstood: FTH! Having said that, you might think that I would be joining the chorus of critics.

I read the novel in high school and it was a personal favorite. A coming of age tale with a hint of intrigue and danger and a bi-sexual love triangle, I was totally hooked. Obviously, expectations were running very high for this film.

I would not say the book's essence has been perfectly captured, but RMT comes close. Yes, the whole project is overly earnest but it is certainly a welcome change from the director' previous vehicle, the lame frat boy comedy Dodgeball.

The majority of crticism has been about Sienna Miller. Her performance is not very memorable, but she certainly doesn't embarrass herself. Jon Foster does give off a vanilla vibe, but I actually enjoyed his understated emoting.

Obviously, Peter Sarsgaard is the star of the show here, taking what I'd consider the Robert Downey Jr. role. His part as the self-destructive and omnisexual mood swinger does bring the script to life.

And the mercurial Mena Suvari does steal a scene or two as the bitter ex-girlfriend. If all of this sounds entertaining, it is. It is absurd that I should be writing In Defense Of TMOP, but there you have it.

The idiosyncrasy of original is missed, but the basic spirit remains intact.