Flakes (2007) User Reviews

the very definition of an innocuous film

[Buddy-51 · 5/10 · 15 October 2009]

According to boxofficemojo.com, Michael Lehmann's "Flakes" raked in all of $778 in revenue when it was released in late 2007. And although one hates to kick a well-intentioned, low budget film when it's down, the truth is that "Flakes" is a cute idea that doesn't really amount to all that much in the long run. In fact, the film is so benign and innocuous that it seems to be evaporating even as you're watching it.

Neal Downs (Aaron Stanford) is a struggling musician who works as manager of a little New Orleans eatery called Flakes (owned by Christopher Lloyd) that serves nothing but cold cereal to its loyal clientele. When a rival franchise opens up across the street, Neal's girlfriend, the self-named Pussy Katz (Zooey Deschanel), applies for a job at the new establishment as a means of getting back at Neal for refusing to hire her at his own place.

The pro-capitalist vs. anti-capitalist theme that runs through the storyline is halfhearted and underdeveloped at best. Moreover, while the cast is engaging and appealing (especially Deschanel), the undernourished Chris Poche/Karey Kirkpatrick screenplay doesn't give the actors a whole lot of solid material to work with. And even the relatively fresh and novel New Orleans setting isn't exploited as much as it could be for its old-world atmosphere and charm.

Fun odd little flick

[ferrari-18 · 7/10 · 12 March 2007]

Just saw this at the SXSW film festival and found it pretty damn fun. The dialog is kludgey in spots, and I'm not sure they sold the romantic relationship between the two leads well enough, but there are some funny, clever moments with the main story about the competing cereal bars, and the concept itself I thought was fun. Christopher Lloyd has a few nice moments here and there. Deschanel is a blast as always. A curious thing to note, but I liked the set design/art direction quite a bit. Gave the competing venues a real personality of their own. There's still no word on distribution, but I'm hopeful that a good reception at SXSW will give it some momentum in that direction.

Pretty Good

[marcusdean118 · 7/10 · 27 October 2008]

Watching this, i was not expecting much. I have to say i was pleasantly surprised. During the start of the film i was left in awe at how cool the actual set was, the cereal bar is a work of mise en scene genius. But even with an exciting set a film can still be rubbish.

Flakes is not as quirky as it looks. It's dialogue is impressive and the performances are understated and all work perfectly with the story, see Skinny Larry and Winston. There are moments that made me laugh, granted it was more of a chuckle than a hysterical laugh. The thing that strikes me the most about this movie is how well the writers formulated their characters. All very well judged with good casting in them, the only role i was left wondering about was that of Strawberry as she was pretty pointless. Christopher Lloyd is awesome in this, i read on another comment that Christopher Lloyd does his usual but if you grew up watching him as Doc, this really isn't his usual.

Good characters, good premise, original storytelling and the ever lovely Zooey Deschanel. This is worth a watch, it is not a groundbreaking concept, it will not blow your brains out, it will not keep you on the edge of your seat, however it will charm you and leave you thinking about it. Well it did for me at least.

Thumbs Down

[rubbertreeant · 2 October 2011]

Top 3 Reasons Not to See Flakes

1: Zooey Deschanel. She plays a terribly dressed, self-absorbed ditzy hipster named Miss Pussy Katz who runs around saying things like "you can't nurture your soul and accumulate at the same time" and ruins everyone's lives with her self-righteous drivel. For the first time, Zooey Deschanel loses that endearing balance between obnoxious and endearing and goes full on obnoxious. Don't watch it unless you're willing to run the risk of hating Zooey Deschanel forever.

2: The plot. A guy (Aaron Stanford) works at a cereal bar (it's just what it sounds like). Another guy opens a less dirty version of the cereal store across the street. They call each other names for 45 minutes, then hand out a bunch of flyers and make DIY t-shirts. Then the movie is over. Seriously. That was the whole movie. It grossed a whopping $311 dollars in its opening week.

3: Hipsters. There is nothing more obnoxious than listening to a bunch of post-teens waxing self righteous the "best" years of Cap'n Crunch and the bouquet and mouth feel of Fruity Pebbles like baby wine snobs. Except when they eventually switch topics to rip on "suits" and "consumerism". The dialogue does its best to remind us why we hate hipsters in the first place: because they're really just hateful little future conservatives dabbling in corporate sponsored "counter culture"...it's like Urban Outfitters started making people.

Quirky Fun Movie

[kaput450 · 6/10 · 14 May 2008]

I thought this movie was pretty good. Yes, It may be trying a bit hard and the acting may not be top rate but at least it has some originality to it which is more than I can say for most movies out there. Yes it is cheezy and far fetched but it leaves you with a good feeling in the end. Who knows why someone would open up a cereal restaurant across the street from another but who knows why TV executives throw the best shows on at the same time or why there are 3 million Starbucks or 7-11s half of which are on the same block.

This is a fun movie, Not great but good all in all. I wish I could give it an extra star to combat the negative reviews but I can not. Solid 6, and in my opinion worth watching if you have nothing better to do.

Cheers, -=db=-

Skip the movie, and just have a bowl of cereal. You'll be much more satisfied.

[lewiskendell · 3/10 · 8 April 2010]

Flakes is more dry and boring than any bowl of cereal could ever be. I've enjoyed many a hipster indie movie, but all the quirky characters in the world can't save a movie that's dull and devoid of any entertainment value, whatsoever.

I think the movie was attempting an Empire Records-type vibe, where you're introduced to a few off-beat characters, and then grow to care about their lives over the course of the movie. That certainly didn't happen. Every character was annoyingly "different", and the viewer is never given any reasons to grow attached to them. They never become anything more than arbitrarily alternative caricatures. I normally love Zooey Deschanel (she's the reason I watched the movie), but she's just as un-appealing in this as everyone else. This may sound harsh, but Flakes was a complete failure. Don't waste your time with it.

More fit for a sitcom I probably wouldn't watch

[adamdonaghey · 4/10 · 30 April 2007]

Michael Lehmann's new film, Flakes, could have been a quirky comedy, centered on a new type of concept "cereal" bar. Instead, it tries too hard to be a romantic comedy with a quirky setting, and unfortunately, doesn't really deliver anything romantic or comedic. I mean, the setting really is great. And the overlying plot--young entrepreneur threatens to Starbuck over a local establishment with a local following--might have worked, if the film had been completely different.

But instead of focusing on the fact that these guys live, eat and breathe cereal, Lehmann decides to cliché it all up by introducing the same old, badly written girl-wants-slackerboy-to-quit working-his-dead-end-job-and-focus-on-his-aspiring-music-career theme. And because of this, we never really get to learn that much about cereal, or what great toys come out of cereal boxes, or really anything cool at all. We do get some slack-off acting and a shameful appearance by Christopher Lloyd. All-in-all, it's a waste of time and plays more like a badly written sitcom than an actual feature film.

I barely made it through...(no spoilers)

[Panterken · 3/10 · 5 May 2008]

I generally write comments for movies I like (like most people do, whether it's an intentional choice or not) and even if I'm not too crazy about one, I still try to remain Mr. the-glass-is-half-full. Sadly however, there was nothing in this little indie flick, starring Zooey Deschanel and Aaron Stanford as a couple of semi-rebels who both aspire much but are not likely to actually achieve anything. While he is working in a cereal bar 'for the time being' (funny how many people who say that end up being permanent employees), she tries to sell art commercially (ironically enough) in a small stand. No matter how much the makers try to charm up the conversations, the mood can only be described as lifeless and if there was any chemistry I didn't see it, it's a shame the delightful Ms. Deschanel chose to waste her time with this kind of pointless movies.

Cute and made me coo coo!

[ssmksi · 10/10 · 18 May 2008]

Who doesn't love cereal? I had no idea what this movie was about and being surrounded by the "culture", I thought it was yet another movie about pot-heads. I was wrong again! Pleasantly surprised, Flakes dove me into a world of cereal that I have never imagined. A cereal bar! How cool is that? I would love to go to one and have my favorite cereal and listen to gossip from the town's folk. I have to admit that I thought that the idea of a cereal bar was just crazy and could never exist however, upon researching it I've found that there ARE cereal bars! I have to go to one and it is because of this movie! The actors did a good job of portraying regular (and not so regular) people doing what they have to do in a world where everything is so flaky (yep, intended :p). We all experience people that are "fake" or "zoned out" or "uptight", etc. Movies are a reflection of the world and although many movies create improbable situations, the characters that are in them have their real-life counterparts in our everyday, real lives and all over the world. There were some messages in this movie that I got such as the corporate America killings of mom-and-pop shops, the need for people in a relationship to pay attention to one another, the must for more assistance to be given to other's in need, and that cereal is indeed a culture all it's own. I had no idea.

Flakes portrays a character that sells old and discontinued cereals to the cereal bar. That seems like a bit too much however, I do know that uncoated cereals can last for years and years without losing too much of their shelf-life. I personally would not try to eat such old cereal however, there are people that would and this movie caters to that. Bravo! I do have to admit, the part where Neal made that all chocolate concoction for the cussing customer made my mouth water! I paused it, made Coco Puffs and unpaused it!

Made it about 45 minutes in

[toddbrandel · 1/10 · 20 December 2007]

Checked out this movie OnDemand last night on a lark - my girlfriend and I read the description and decided to give it a shot. I wish I could get my six bucks back. It was the kind of movie that looked like it was written and directed by a 14-year-old trying really, really hard to be "indie." I was shocked that Zooey Deschanel and Christopher Lloyd allowed themselves to be associated with this awful excuse for a film.

The dialog was cliché at best, the acting was miserable, and the entire premise of the movie was ridiculous. How can you eat vintage cereal? I know the stuff is loaded with preservatives, but I'm pretty sure you can't open a box of cereal from the 70s and eat it.

After about 45 minutes of watching this trainwreck of a movie, we decided we couldn't take it anymore and turned it off. The only advantage of watching Flakes was that it made the Arrested Development episodes we watched immediately afterward look like the most genius pieces of entertainment ever crafted.

Horrible tripe

[blairbraitenbach · 1/10 · 14 March 2010]

Watching this movie last night on late night television was a painful experience as a whole and simply made me angry. I have to agree with other reviewers that this movie was a blatant rip off of other poorly constructed "indie" films of the mid-nineties, such as Empire Records, Reality Bites and Mallrats. This boring, cliché-filled disposable piece of garbage should have been made 15 years ago and forgotten just as easily as its predecessors. This movie is clearly the writer's hipster wet dream of a life he wishes he could live: a sub-par musician who works at a café that only sells cereal (?), his ultra-cool artist girlfriend Zoey Deschanel (who must have owed a favour to the makers of this terrible, terrible thing), and supporting stoner characters who have nothing better to do than hang out and talk about cereal. So lame, so lame. There are so many cringe inducing lines and scenes it would take a novel to fully describe, but here's one of my personal favourites: "The Velvet Underground were before my time but I sure as hell know who they are." The main character performs a song at the end of the movie called "The Freakies" in which the lyrics are based on his love of cereal and how it contributes to his non-conformist/rocking against the establishment attitude. Barf! Avoid this movie at all costs.

Bland

[sethroatl · 4/10 · 24 December 2007]

Unfortunately, this movie, which to some degree was about staying true to yourself, was shallow and left me wanting. The characters were fairly one-dimensional -- either anti-establishment and cool or pro-business with a pocket protector and glasses. The main characters were fine, but fairly predictable. Christopher Lloyd played his usual role, and the guy from the OC appeared to play Randall Pink Floyd from Dazed and Confused. Ironically, although much of the plot was about not being fake, everything about the movie from the setting to the dialog appeared contrived. I can't say I laughed, cried, smiled or even thought very hard. It didn't even make me want to eat cereal.

Thumbs Way, Way in the Middle

[mlanoue · 5/10 · 18 January 2008]

This is a movie that tries to be poppy and indie at the same time. There are lots of movies that do this, and they rarely hit the mark. There's enough quirkiness to keep you watching it, but not enough to really make you remember that you actually did watch it the day after. As amusing as the concept is of guys who buy black market cereal is, there's only so much you can do with the concept, and it ends up with a story line about a nice girl with a jerk boyfriend who really doesn't have the ambition to record his mediocre songs. It is nice to see New Orleans, and to see Christopher Lloyd dusting off his Jim-from-taxi persona one more time. It's the kind of movie you could recommend to your parents when they're trying to figure out how to set up their Netflix queue, unless they don't like swearing, that is. In the end, they probably should have just scrapped the whole idea of being edgy, and gone for the poppy movie thing.

A funny, sweet film about a pretty unique venue.

[evans-comma-j · 8/10 · 23 January 2009]

I really enjoyed this. It's a fun, quirky flick with a fun, quirky cast, and the music/set was very well done. The two leads, Aaron Stanford and Zooey Deschanel, had great chemistry and both carried their roles with style and skill; Deschanel is hilariously adorable as always, and Stanford gives his character, Neal, a lovable, believable charm. The concept itself is quite cool as well, I thought; what other movie is about competing *cereal bars*? While the "Franchises = BAD" message is sort of smacked in your face throughout the film, it's definitely worth the occasional eyeroll. Basically, if you're looking for a movie that will make you laugh out loud, have you rooting for a happy ending and leave you smiling when it's over, 'Flakes' is for you.

Tries way too hard, fails badly.

[mcwarryah · 1/10 · 3 December 2009]

Having somehow sat through this movie, the one good thing I can say about it is "well, at least the concept is original". The rest of it, though? Utter garbage.

The film is horribly acted, the characters mumble and groan their lines in disinterested fashion, and Zooey Deschanel attacks her role as Miss Pussy Katz with the same dull, wooden lifelessness that she always does. How she is thought of as a good actress by anyone is beyond me.

The writing is poor, and it tries way too hard to appeal to your typical hipster demographic, though the fact that it somehow manages to have more painfully faux-indie dialog than Diablo Cody's "Juno" is an accomplishment in and of itself. The two main characters are also absurdly named, reinforcing the whole notion that the movie is simply trying too hard. Calling characters "Neal Downs" and "Miss Pussy Katz" is beyond silly, and feels like it's been done sheerly in an attempt to be quirky.

The message of "Capitalism is bad!" gets shoved down your throat from the start - Deschanel even quips that "you can't nurture your soul while sitting atop a pile of money" - and by the end, you're praying for this garbage to end, which it does, in the cheesiest, most predictable way possible, a shame, since you'd think a movie with an original concept might have an original ending.

The "comedy" is virtually non-existent, and not once during the movie did I laugh, nor did I even spot many attempts at making a joke. May I just don't "get" it because I'm not cool enough.

A dull, lifeless, 85 minutes (or thereabouts) that feels like twice that. Avoid it.

A Refreshing, Quirky, Funny and Charming Little Cereal Film

[Chrysanthepop · 1 April 2011]

Michael Lehmann tells a charming little story about an aspiring rocker, Neal Downs, and an aspiring artist, Pussy Katz. Neal feels obligated to work fulltime at a cereal diner, Flakes, but his girlfriend Pussy Katz wants him to pursue his dream in becoming a musician. She even offers to take over his job, without payment. However, Neal declines. Meanwhile, a rival diner sets up in front of Flakes and in order to teach Neal a lesson, Pussy Katz takes up a job at the new cereal bar.

'Flakes' is overall a fun movie. While the concept is very appealing, the screenplay and execution are splendid. Although the pro-capitalist vs anti-capitalist theme is underdeveloped and the ending felt a little rushed, the comedy mostly makes up for it. The clever humour works brilliantly. I liked the art direction. The colourful sets looked very inventive and authentic. The cinematography is good too and the soundtrack fits well with the atmosphere and flaky surroundings.

Aaron Stanford and Zooey Deschanel form a likable and believable pair. They have great chemistry. Standford is competent as the scruffy wannabe rocker who's afraid of the uncertainty of a musician's future. Lovely Deschanel is a delight to watch. Her natural performance stands out, Christopher Lloyd, Keir O'Donnell and Izabella Miko provide great support.

The jokes made me laugh out loud. This film has heart and brain Positively flaky, fun, energetic and delicious, 'Flakes' at the very least brings a smile to the face. I'll definitely be revisiting this one.

Don't watch this tripe

[swampmuse · 1/10 · 4 June 2008]

This movie has ripped off a New Orleans musical mainstay known as Quintron and Miss Pussycat (www.quintronandmisspussycat.com) without giving them any due credits or consultation. Lehmann has cheapened, and poorly disguised, what most New Orleanians consider a musical and cultural asset to our community. It's a shame that some locals participated in the making of this movie, knowing what a sham it was. Quintron and Miss Pussycat are an inspiration to post-Katrina New Orleans and their likenesses/ story shouldn't have been abused in this way, especially considering how terrible this film is. Do yourself a favor and skip this. Check out the real Quintron and Miss P instead.

I want to work at Flakes

[shortmantall · 10/10 · 6 July 2008]

The best compliment you can give to flakes is that you'll want to work there and believe me I did. The place looked fun and full of life. This film has a similar premise to Empire Records and in some ways I prefer this one as I found it quirkier and more indie. I love Indie films because they function in a way that is all their own. I don't mean that every single indie film functions in the same way, what I mean is one indie film is different from another. Much like Empire Records the subject (the shop in question) just looks like a fun place to work.

As for the film, it was really clever, fun, warm, idiosyncratic and very much enjoyable from start to finish. Aaron Sanford shows he can act and of course Zooey Deschanel, picture perfect as always. The most impressive thing you can say about these two in both the writing and performance is they went beyond the chemistry of these two characters and took it to another place by having them have a dynamic. It was there in the writing and in the performances. Simply having the couple not let the work dynamic get in the way of their personal life and in a way does in simple subtle ways is a joy to watch and what I mean. The rest of the cast do fantastically well as well. It's nice to see Christopher Lloyd too.

The other aspect of the film I loved was the set design and soundtrack which brought it to life. On the whole this was a superb film with heart and soul and brains to match.

good film

[mattkratz · 9/10 · 11 July 2013]

An aspiring rock musician is severely chided by his girlfriend for being a slacker at his "art." He also manages a local bar that serves nothing but cereal-his idea entirely-and attracts a loyal clientele. When a businessman rips off his idea and opens up a new, larger, and fancier store across the street, an all-out war begins. The girlfriend at first considers joining the original Flakes but then joins the competitor. Things then get rather heated as-well, remember Cheers and Gary's bar? This could be shown in college business classes as how businesses and competitions are run. I thought it was a good movie and had a good cast. It was funny and delightful from start to finish. It was a good way to pass an hour and a half.

*** out of ****