Cyrus

The latest film from sibling filmmakers Jay and Mark Duplass (who previously brought us 2008's indie horror film Baghead) could be a career defining moment for actor Jonah Hill. Usually known for more lighthearted and broad comic roles, he is very subtle and creepy here. Even when he is smiling, there is something in his eyes or the tilt of his head that lets us know what he's really thinking. Cyrus is a different kind of comedy than Hill is usually attracted to. It's much darker, and much more focused on character development. You're not just laughing at what the characters are saying, you also find yourself caring about the people up on the screen and, in Hill's case, sort of frightened by them.

But before Hill comes up on screen, we meet John (played by John C. Reilly, giving his best performance in a while here). He's a middle-aged guy who feels and even looks like life has passed him by. He's also not taking the fact well that his ex-wife Jamie (Catherine Keener) is moving on with her life, and is marrying again. Jamie still cares about John, and wants to see him happy too. That's why she invites him to a party as the film opens, hoping he will find someone to hit things off with. He is reluctant, but eventually agrees. It's at the party that he meets Molly (Marisa Tomei). She seems sweet and understanding toward John, and even offers to sleep with him as the night progresses smoothly for the two of them. This is the first good thing that's happened to John since Jamie divorced him, and it's clear to us that he's happy at the prospects a relationship with Molly could hold.

The only thing that strikes him as strange is that Molly always sneaks away in the middle of the night. When he wakes up, she's either not there, or there's a note on the pillow. He tries to confront her about it, but Molly is not forthcoming with any answers. She seems to be hiding something. He decides to follow her back home one night without her knowing, and discovers her secret is her overly protective adult son, Cyrus (Hill). The two meet the next morning when Molly is away at work, and although Cyrus seems like a nice guy who's into nature photography and synthesizer music, there is something off-putting about him. When John spends the night in Molly and Cyrus' home, his tennis shoes mysteriously go missing. He later finds them hidden in Cyrus' closet. Is the son playing head games with his mom's new boyfriend? The movie is subtle in how it builds up Cyrus' true intentions, and how he really feels about John.

It starts with simple head games, and soon turns into an all-out manipulation war, where he tries to turn John against his mom (and when that doesn't work, his mom against John), and even "threatens" to move out, making it look like John is wrong for interrupting the relationship he has with his mom. The premise and the presence of big name stars (who most likely were attracted to such a small film, due to the fact that Tony and Ridley Scott are credited as producers) may make you think that this is a fairly mainstream comedy, but Cyrus is a very dark film that may confuse some audience members that are looking for a laugh-out-loud comedy. It's very subtle, and kind of unnerving at times. This, of course, has the added benefit that the audience doesn't know what to expect. The movie throws us off early and often, so that we never feel like we're one step ahead of the characters, or know where they're going to end up when the end credits come. This is a deep, and deeply rewarding comedy-drama filled with complex characters.

Speaking of the characters, I love the way that Duplass brothers handle them here. They treat them as real individuals with multiple dimensions to their personalities. I found myself involved in the relationship between John and Molly, and wanted to see them get together at the end. As for Cyrus, for all the creepy and obsessive behavior that he displays, we still find ourselves liking him in a way. That's because he's not just a generic comic villain trying to break the two leads up. He's a very confused, emotionally disturbed young man. There is clearly conflict within him. He wants his mom to be happy, but only with him. And yet, deep inside, he knows that John makes her happier than he's ever seen her before. Hill gets to bring out all sides to the character, including sides to his performance I had no idea he could pull off. Compare his performance here to his recent starring role in Get Him to the Greek. In that film, he played a kind of wimpy and boring character, and even made me question if he could carry a movie. Here, he gets a fully developed and complex character, and pulls it off brilliantly. This film offers a glimpse that he could definitely handle more mature and serious roles in the future.

The performances are strong all the way around, and if it were not for the fact that I saw The Kids Are All Right the very next day, I would say that Cyrus was the best-acted film of the year so far. As for the film itself, I don't know if everyone will take to the film's subtle and warped sense of humor. I heard some disgruntled audience members walking out, who probably thought they were walking into a light-hearted Apatow comedy, which is understandable given the cast. Those who give it a chance and understand what they are walking into are sure to enjoy it. This is a very different movie than what you would probably expect, and I personally loved it for that.

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