Smiley Face - Was für ein Trip!

Anna Faris is the best female comedienne Hollywood has going. Why don't they cast her in a good romantic comedy (a hard genre to pull off) or a comedy with sharp writing?

No matter what part she plays, there's a sexy intelligence to her that's rare. And, she goes full throttle into a role, no matter how silly it is; this girl is fearless.

In Smiley Face, she plays a stoned girl whom gets into one wrong situation after another because she's stoned. I've known a lot of stoners -- Faris' clueless expressions are spot on. Unlike lesser actors who overdo the stoner drawl, etc, Faris doesn't try too hard. She hits every note perfectly.

But is the film good? The writing is uneven -- mostly bland, but it has some witty moments. The Regan-bit was funny. It's definitely a fun little cult movie, because of Faris' performance.

It isn't the high quality film Faris' talents deserve. The best film I've seen her in so far, in terms of writing and letting her natural intelligence cut loose, is Waiting -- and even then, she was underused.

Maybe Hollywood will get wise and get this girl a part with good writing and first class directing. Smiley Face could have been an awful film -- un-watchable. Faris makes it fun. So many times in films it seems anyone could play certain parts because the writing is so dull; here, the writing is mostly unremarkable, but Faris gives it life. It's hard to imagine any other actress of her generation being able to carve a decent movie from so little.

Anna Faris is, in my opinion, the funniest young comedic actress out there today. In "Smiley Face", she is extremely entertaining (and completely unconcerned about vanity) as Jane, the much-too-stoned pothead. I just love her (and I'm not even gay)!

The story has me scratching my head a little bit. I can't decide if it's just some mindless, silly stoner movie (which works for me!), or, as another reviewer put it, some sort of 70's anti-marijuana training film. Maybe it's a little of both...? I dunno.

Story aside, I think the acting and direction are superb, very colorful, and quite hilarious! It's worth a viewing, if only for the reason that you're in the mood for something completely different. You'll definitely have something to ponder...and many scenes to remember fondly and laugh about!

This movie is now in one of my top five stoner movies. For people who don't smoke, I don't think it's the right experience for you. I watched this movie quite baked, and it was hilarious. I seriously laughed out loud many times, only because of Anna Faris. She was probably the best element of the movie.Her acting was priceless, seriously, she looked so freaking baked for the entire movie it was so hilarious to see! Very good jokes and overall very funny movie! But for the plot, it's for sure not the most epic and complex tale of the history... It's actually very omnipresent but not really important. The actress is entertaining enough to make you watch the entire film. Potheads give it a shot while you smoke a bit, it's a great fun but I don't see non-smokers really enjoying the experience. I, of course, watched the movie high and another time sober, and I can confirm a good buzz helps get you into the movie, into the character. It's worth a solid 7 out of 10!

Ever since Cheech and Chong invented the stoner comedy, the genre has pushed boundaries in mind numbing uselessness, and Smiley Face may represent a new low (or high) for the format. It's certainly bold for it's blatant refusal to inject any substance to it's narrative, it simply follows a single character bumbling around with a glazed look on her face and any plot development is totally random and ridiculous.

Since it's essentially one long stoned monologue, it rests completely on the shoulders of Anna Farris to carry the film, and may possibly be a crowning achievement in the actress' career. She remains endearingly likeable throughout her dopey ramblings, and occasionally lands a good punch line. She's masterful at awkward comedy, and there's a low key brilliance to some of the more absurd musings, like when she contemplates framing a picture of president Garfield as a tribute to her love of lasagne. Things fall flat when she plays things more over the top, like the uncomfortable 3 minutes when she yells about communism at a meat packing plant.

As is often the case, the film is hit and miss with it's depiction of the effects of marijuana. There are a couple moments that accurately showcase the derailed train of thought of the baked mind, but just as many that try to pass off an unbelievable level of childish idiocy as normal pothead behaviour.

Show up under the influence and expect very little, and this inane little flick may just put a smile on your face.

I've read a lot of angry comments about this movie, claiming it's "bashing" on "stoners" and anti-pot propaganda. This is not the case. If you're familiar with Araki's directing and themes in creating movies, it would be easy to recognize this as a satire. Obviously things of this extreme nature don't happen to people who smoke pot, but I like my comedies to have an entertaining plot. This movie would be horrible if all the protagonist did was lay around high in her home.

Unlike most "stoner movies," this one stands out as being one of the most original ones I can recall. There are elements of great artistic direction--which is often neglected in many pot related movies, and their are numerous political metaphors. I mean seriously, how often is "Marxism" and the Communist Manifesto brought into comedies?

Many people will say this is "stupid," which seems like an oxymoron regarding a movie about weed. Indeed, there's incredible silliness and ridiculous over-the-top decisions, but that's the point of this movie(and not to mention Farris' character to begin with). Araki introduces subtle, witty imagery while simultaneously producing an enjoyable slapstick comedy.