Toward the end of recently crowned rom-com classic Crazy, Stupid, Love, there is a big plot twist. For those of you who have not seen the film, I will not spoil it here. In vague terms, one of the characters from the main subplot is related to the characters from the main plot. The twist works because the hints dropped about this connection beforehand are subtle. Meanwhile, the aftermath of its reveal makes the story more interesting for the protagonist of the film, played by Steve Carell. This plot advancement creates genuine surprise and moves the plot in a more intriguing direction.
J.C. Khoury probably wished that his new romantic comedy, All Relative, which hinges much of its story on a big surprise and a colossal plot contrivance, had the same success. Sadly, not only is the revelation obvious – the title even drops a whopper of a hint – but this...
J.C. Khoury probably wished that his new romantic comedy, All Relative, which hinges much of its story on a big surprise and a colossal plot contrivance, had the same success. Sadly, not only is the revelation obvious – the title even drops a whopper of a hint – but this...
- 11/19/2014
- by Jordan Adler
- We Got This Covered
The Manhattan of writer-director J.C. Khoury's bro-centric romantic comedy All Relative is one where bored housewives spit wine into the mouths of their playboys as a seduction tactic, where twentysomethings wait a month and a parental meeting before having sex, and where iPhones exist but no one uses them to post photos of their significant others on Facebook or Instagram. As the title hints, Harry (Jonathan Sadowski), a Columbia graduate student, is in for a sexual romp strongly reminiscent of Benjamin Braddock's in The Graduate. He recovers from a turn as the cuckolded fiancé by becoming "the other man." But, as his best friend advises him in the opening monologue, Harry just needs to think of romance as the French do — a journey, not a destination...
- 11/19/2014
- Village Voice
Kids helmer Larry Clark circumvented traditional distribution when he put his latest film, Marfa Girl, online for fans to stream on his own website for $5.99 a pop. Thanks to Breaking Glass Pictures, he’ll see the sexually charged West Texas-set drama hit theaters in limited release next year. Marfa Girl revolves around Adam (Adam Mediano), a directionless 16-year-old living in Marfa, and his relationships with his girlfriend, his neighbor, his teacher, a newly arrived local artist, and a local Border Patrol officer. The film won top honors at the 2012 Rome Film Festival and will open in a 10- to 15-theater run in the spring. “I think Marfa Girl is my best film or at least as good as any film I’ve made,” said Clark in a statement. Breaking Glass CEO Rich Wolff negotiated the deal with Ryan McCombs of Spotlight Pictures.
FilmBuff has acquired writer-director J.C. Khoury’s romantic comedy All Relative,...
FilmBuff has acquired writer-director J.C. Khoury’s romantic comedy All Relative,...
- 10/14/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
One of the greatest lessons I received from my film school education was a tossaway bon mot from a faculty advise, upset that I didn’t have time to take a 17th century sculpture class. Seeing my confused expression, she shared, “you can’t break the form until you learn it.” With The Pill, first-time writer/director J.C. Khoury manages to somehow do both and still create a fun, entertaining, and surprisingly effective film.
Not since the western has a genre been so dominated by X’s and O’s than romantic comedies. Rom-coms follow a certain formula, replicated over and over again, mainly because they work. Guy and girl can’t possibly be together until they inevitably are. If websites and newspapers didn’t demand a word count, a perfectly suitable review of New Years Eve would read, “it’s exactly what you think it is.” The Pill takes...
Not since the western has a genre been so dominated by X’s and O’s than romantic comedies. Rom-coms follow a certain formula, replicated over and over again, mainly because they work. Guy and girl can’t possibly be together until they inevitably are. If websites and newspapers didn’t demand a word count, a perfectly suitable review of New Years Eve would read, “it’s exactly what you think it is.” The Pill takes...
- 12/17/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
I know what you’re thinking. “Another romantic comedy,” right? Guy meets girl, goofy things happen, it looks like they’ll never get together, then in the end (big surprise), they do. You don’t even have to watch the trailer to figure out where most new rom-coms are going.
Judging by the new trailer, J.C. Khoury‘s The Pill is a far cry from most rom-coms. The film stars Noah Bean (Damages) and Rachel Boston ((500) Days of Summer) as Fred and Mindy, two attractive young people who, after a night of heavy drinking, get busy on an unprotected one-night stand. When Fred realizes Mindy isn’t on the pill, he freaks out and convinces her to take a morning after pill. Then he learns the morning after pill actually comes in two doses 12 hours apart and decides his best course of action is to pretend to be romantically interested...
Judging by the new trailer, J.C. Khoury‘s The Pill is a far cry from most rom-coms. The film stars Noah Bean (Damages) and Rachel Boston ((500) Days of Summer) as Fred and Mindy, two attractive young people who, after a night of heavy drinking, get busy on an unprotected one-night stand. When Fred realizes Mindy isn’t on the pill, he freaks out and convinces her to take a morning after pill. Then he learns the morning after pill actually comes in two doses 12 hours apart and decides his best course of action is to pretend to be romantically interested...
- 11/16/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
One thing that's missing in our romantic comedies these days is honesty. Instead, lame, tame cartoonish premises have turned into lame, foul-mouthed cartoonish premises -- and though many of our more recent romantic comedies have been of the R-rated, get-drunk-and-this-is-actually-pretty-hilarious variety, there's still a raw, uncomfortable honesty that's absent in so many films. That's why it was pretty awesome earlier this year when I happened upon The Pill at the Gen Art Film Festival. Here's a film that takes a somewhat uncomfortable (but damn catchy) premise and injects it with such a dose of reality that it truly challenges its audience and takes them on a great ride at the same time. Directed by J.C. Khoury and starring Noah Bean and Rachel Boston...
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- 11/15/2011
- by Erik Davis
- Movies.com
Title: The Pill Writer-director: J.C. Khoury Starring: Noah Bean, Rachel Boston, Anna Chlumsky, Dreama Walker, Al Thompson, Jean Brassard, Lue McWilliams A lot of Hollywood romantic comedies unfold in worlds that are virtually unrecognizable from the real one, where couples meet in strange fashion and relationships often overlap in messy ways. Writer-director J.C. Khoury’s engaging The Pill, which just enjoyed its world premiere at the 14th annual Dances With Films festival, is thankfully not one of those efforts. The movie centers around Fred (Noah Bean, Rose Byrne’s murdered fiance on Damages), a New Yorker who hooks up with the free-spirited Mindy (Rachel Boston), has pleasantly drunken but unfortunately unprotected sex, wakes up, and...
- 6/13/2011
- by bsimon
- ShockYa
The Pill, a romantic comedy about a one-night stand and an ensuing pregnancy scare, stars Noah Bean, Rachel Boston, and Anna Chlumsky. The film had its East Coast premiere at the Gen Art Film Festival on Sunday, and, with any luck, will soon be available for your viewing pleasure... Director J.C. Khoury opens up about his inspiration - mainly, his experience as a "professional hypochondriac." I have always believed, more so recently than ever, that mainstream films lack verisimilitude. They are generally dishonest in their interpretations of character and everyday life. This is why I have gravitated to the filmmaking of the Duplass brothers, Woody Allen, Larry David, and Julie Delpy. These filmmakers create and mine awkward social situations for nuggets of human pathos and humor, and they do so with truth and integrity. In The Pill, I strive to do the same. Until a year ago, I had never...
- 6/13/2011
- TribecaFilm.com
Gen Art Harvey Keitel in “A Beginner’s Guide to Endings”
Although Gen Art’s future was uncertain earlier this year, the experimental marketing organization has reemerged, announcing the lineup for their 16th Anniversary Film Festival. Known as an organization that nurtures and promotes emerging talent, Gen Art’s festival will run June 8 – 14 and open with “A Beginner’s Guide to Endings,” the first film by 35-year-old Jonathan Sobol.
“It’s tough to be emerging at 35,” Sobol said. “But Gen...
Although Gen Art’s future was uncertain earlier this year, the experimental marketing organization has reemerged, announcing the lineup for their 16th Anniversary Film Festival. Known as an organization that nurtures and promotes emerging talent, Gen Art’s festival will run June 8 – 14 and open with “A Beginner’s Guide to Endings,” the first film by 35-year-old Jonathan Sobol.
“It’s tough to be emerging at 35,” Sobol said. “But Gen...
- 5/18/2011
- by Alexandra Cheney
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
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