Smiley Face ***
Gregg Araki, 2007
US
@ IFC Center
I was reminded pleasantly of my old wish in elementary school to write a story without a central conflict (which we were informed was the basis of all stories ever written) where the characters would all just have a really nice time. Gregg Araki has basically made that film, except not quite.
It slides away if you try to pin it down anywhere, yet Smiley Face offers so many delightful reasons to enjoy it. Mostly it was just refreshing to watch a movie about a woman who is only at most very secondarily a love interest to anyone in the script, beholden to no one, but at the same time neither obsessively ambitious nor constantly cracking wise, just ambling through life. We spend an almost disconcerting amount of time looking directly at Anna Faris's mostly blank face, particularly at the beginning, and it brought to mind the intensity of the camera's relationship with Uma Thurman's independent, young blonde protagonist in Kill Bill. Keep in mind, though, that this is a stoner comedy.
The tiny audience seemed most delighted by the lasagna/Garfield/President Garfield riff near the middle, probably due to the way Faris keeps slowly rubbing her belly, looking dazedly pleased with herself. Also, REO Speedwagon! My only wish is that somehow John Cho would've gotten a larger part, but I suppose I can just wait for Harold & Kumar 2 this spring.
See also: IMDb | Metacritic | Nathan Lee review
Gregg Araki, 2007
US
@ IFC Center
I was reminded pleasantly of my old wish in elementary school to write a story without a central conflict (which we were informed was the basis of all stories ever written) where the characters would all just have a really nice time. Gregg Araki has basically made that film, except not quite.
It slides away if you try to pin it down anywhere, yet Smiley Face offers so many delightful reasons to enjoy it. Mostly it was just refreshing to watch a movie about a woman who is only at most very secondarily a love interest to anyone in the script, beholden to no one, but at the same time neither obsessively ambitious nor constantly cracking wise, just ambling through life. We spend an almost disconcerting amount of time looking directly at Anna Faris's mostly blank face, particularly at the beginning, and it brought to mind the intensity of the camera's relationship with Uma Thurman's independent, young blonde protagonist in Kill Bill. Keep in mind, though, that this is a stoner comedy.
The tiny audience seemed most delighted by the lasagna/Garfield/President Garfield riff near the middle, probably due to the way Faris keeps slowly rubbing her belly, looking dazedly pleased with herself. Also, REO Speedwagon! My only wish is that somehow John Cho would've gotten a larger part, but I suppose I can just wait for Harold & Kumar 2 this spring.
See also: IMDb | Metacritic | Nathan Lee review
Labels: 2007, 3 Stars, Gregg Araki, US
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