Like the central protagonist, this 2007 movie is a misbegotten mess. Making his directorial debut, actor Justin Theroux gets carried away with every film school trick in the book with self-conscious camera-work, annoying jump cuts and a music soundtrack that apparently has to comment on every scene. With a strangely cryptic first-time screenplay by David Bromberg, the movie boasts an impressive cast that includes Tom Wilkinson and Dianne Wiest, but it asks us to empathize with an obsessive-compulsive misanthrope whose actions alienate everyone around him. The ploy is too challenging since the character is more cruel than unfiltered, and his relentless bitterness rarely crackles with the wit necessary to get away with such boorish behavior. Moreover, subsequent attempts to humanize him feel increasingly contrived as the story progresses.
The story revolves around Henry Roth, a prickly, phobic children's book author (an intentionally ironic profession for such an uncaring jerk) who bonds only with his longtime collaborator, a curmudgeonly illustrator named Rudy. They finally achieve success with a book about Marty the Beaver's campaign to save Christmas, but then Rudy dies. Henry's poker-faced editor, Arthur Planck, wants a sequel and consequently hires a young artist named Lucy to take Rudy's place. Lucy has her share of problems - a mother who is also her landlord and willing to evict her, and an errant lover named Jeremy who wants her back after dumping her. The movie's title is derived from the dedication to Lucy in Jeremy's about-to-be-published book. Motivated by a large bonus offered by Planck, Lucy is willing to subject herself to Henry's nasty comments, but of course, a romance develops. This is where the film falters badly as the love story is sketchily developed with little discernible chemistry between the two stars.
The cast provides whatever redeeming value the film has. The usually audacious Billy Crudup does what he can as Henry, but it's an uphill battle. Better here than in last year's execrable "Because I Said So", Mandy Moore brings a certain poignancy to her scenes, but her downbeat character is so depressing that the only logical response to their romance is indifference. Wilkinson easily steals his scenes as Rudy both pre- and post-mortem, while Bob Balaban plays Planck in his typically low-key fashion. Wiest plays Lucy's mother in just a couple of tersely acted scenes, while Amy Sedaris, Peter Bogdanovich, Christine Taylor and Bobby Cannavale show up in cameos. The 2008 DVD is bereft of any extras, not even the theatrical trailer, which gives you an indication of what the studio thought of its prospects.
The story revolves around Henry Roth, a prickly, phobic children's book author (an intentionally ironic profession for such an uncaring jerk) who bonds only with his longtime collaborator, a curmudgeonly illustrator named Rudy. They finally achieve success with a book about Marty the Beaver's campaign to save Christmas, but then Rudy dies. Henry's poker-faced editor, Arthur Planck, wants a sequel and consequently hires a young artist named Lucy to take Rudy's place. Lucy has her share of problems - a mother who is also her landlord and willing to evict her, and an errant lover named Jeremy who wants her back after dumping her. The movie's title is derived from the dedication to Lucy in Jeremy's about-to-be-published book. Motivated by a large bonus offered by Planck, Lucy is willing to subject herself to Henry's nasty comments, but of course, a romance develops. This is where the film falters badly as the love story is sketchily developed with little discernible chemistry between the two stars.
The cast provides whatever redeeming value the film has. The usually audacious Billy Crudup does what he can as Henry, but it's an uphill battle. Better here than in last year's execrable "Because I Said So", Mandy Moore brings a certain poignancy to her scenes, but her downbeat character is so depressing that the only logical response to their romance is indifference. Wilkinson easily steals his scenes as Rudy both pre- and post-mortem, while Bob Balaban plays Planck in his typically low-key fashion. Wiest plays Lucy's mother in just a couple of tersely acted scenes, while Amy Sedaris, Peter Bogdanovich, Christine Taylor and Bobby Cannavale show up in cameos. The 2008 DVD is bereft of any extras, not even the theatrical trailer, which gives you an indication of what the studio thought of its prospects.