Norman is standard and safe as it gets, which is to say that it does nothing new, and it's all a bit of a bore. In this regard it kind of adheres to your worst ideas about what constitutes an indie film. Dan Byrd was pretty okay in the lead role -- but I found something very surface-y about his performance, and, for that matter, in the movie itself. It's one of those movies that isn't really bold enough in its concept or execution. At the end you just ask yourself why it exists. I did enjoy the soundtrack, however, and as bizarre as it sounds I liked the poster art as well (that's what made me decide to watch this movie in the first place). But beyond that there is little to recommend here. Pass.
Reviews
3 Reviews
Ruby Sparks
(2012)
Bad Charlie Kaufman
10 August 2012
Were you excited to see what the follow up from the acclaimed directors of "Little Miss Sunshine" would be? And when you heard the excellent actor, Paul Dano, not only stars but co- wrote the script didn't that sweeten the pot? So it's with sincere disappointment that I report what a dull, dull, silly little move this is. It has both the premise and the depth of a bad short film, the kind your room-mate made in film school and forced you to watch...only now everything is in focus and the acting is fine, though oddly this only highlights the weaknesses in the story-telling. The premise, as you can tell from the trailer, is that a man writes the woman of his dreams. Sadly it is never more than that. Paul Dano feels miscast. Perhaps neurotic comedy is not in his wheelhouse. And the real Achilles Heel is Zoe Kazan as Ruby, who is never as charming or interesting as he finds her. If you are going to create a fictional woman from the ether, one would hope she would be more compelling than this. Flat and dull, and never as smart as it wants to be (NEEDS TO BE) I would not recommend.
Daydream Nation
(2010)
impressively different
9 August 2012
As a 38 year old woman I thought I might be too old for this movie, but instead I laughed a great deal and was basically transported by this impressive, and impressively different, film. This movie has obviously ruffled some feathers judging by the other reviews, which would make you think you're either about to watch the absolute best movie ever...or the worst. The truth is somewhere in-between, but I'm giving it a high score because it cleverly subverts the coming of age genre by taking the clichés -- sex in cars, power games, wild teen parties, crushes on teachers, etc -- and then turning them on their head, or in some cases even letting bits of plot drift off into oblivion. I'd almost describe the movie as more collage than straight-forward teen film.
But what makes the movie worthwhile, in my opinion, are the little touches. The sky-writing, the satellite dish, the take down of the word "slut" in the girl's bathroom, and the striking ending. There were moments of genuine beauty that will stick with me for a long time.
But what makes the movie worthwhile, in my opinion, are the little touches. The sky-writing, the satellite dish, the take down of the word "slut" in the girl's bathroom, and the striking ending. There were moments of genuine beauty that will stick with me for a long time.
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