Martin & Orloff

I'll be honest: I had high hopes but low expectations for this film. As guilty as that makes me feel, it's true. The movie, however, was better than even my expectations. It's not for everyone, but that's the beauty of independent film. It allows for off-beat, darkly comic writing and the casting of actors like the superb-as-always, H. Jon Benjamin. It would probably be enjoyed most by those who are already fans of the "Upright Citizens Brigade" (all of whom appear, in addition to writer-stars Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh), but I would still recommend it to non-fans, if only for the unique and memorable cinematic experience it will provide them. (Even my mother, who doesn't "understand" most of my comedies I show her, enjoyed herself.) I make no guarantees, but it definitely deserves a shot.

Martin & Orloff is a movie about the relationship between a suicide attemptee and his psychiatrist who has as many issues as his patient. The movie made me laugh several times but, like cotton candy, it had no substance to it. It started fading from my mind as soon as I left the theater. Enjoyable but forgetable. I can see myself in a couple of years, if this movie ever makes it to tv, saying "I might have seen that. I'm not sure."

I just watched this movie for the first time the other day and it was hilarious! Having read the script beforehand, I was expecting much and I wasn't disappointed. However I'm not gonna lie, there were a few TINY details written in the original script that I liked but that I didn't see, but most viewers haven't read the original script so that doesn't matter. If you're a UCB fan than you'll especially love this movie (if you don't know what UCB stands for then you're not a fan), but even if you're just a regular joe who loves crazy off-beat comedies, this is still a MUST-SEE! Unless you're a producer or just a friend of a producer, you have to wait until September to buy this movie, but don't worry it's worth the wait.

I really wanted to enjoy "Martin & Orloff," which saddles its first-rate cast with third-rate material. I liked the opening scenes, which made me think that M&O would be a black comedy about a suicidal man trying to readjust to normal life--the scene where Ian Roberts cleans copious amounts of his own blood off his bathroom floor packs a wallop. Unfortunately, the movie soon abandons that idea to focus on the old "psychiatrist who's crazier than his patients" cliché. I could *almost* forgive the psychiatrist and his pals being over-the-top, cartoonish freaks, but the portrayal of the Chinese food mogul and his henchmen as insulting racial caricatures was enough to ruin the film for me. The best aspect of "Martin & Orloff" is seeing David Cross do an early version of his "Arrested Development" character.

Something I've always loved about watching The Upright Citizen's Brigade when it was on Comedy Central was that its cast really had their own unique brand of humor and delivery. Even if it isn't exactly your style, it's still funny and respectable for how unique and unflagging it is in its consistency. With Martin & Orloff, the unofficial UCB movie, their humor translates to the screen with the same quality and integrity that makes them endearing to anyone with an open and progressive sense of humor.

Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh do an incredible job as the title characters. It is obvious from their comedic chemistry how long they've spent doing improv with each other in the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater. They are quite simply, masters of their craft. While obvious how low a budget this movie had, the director, Lawrence Blume does an Incredible job of stretching the budget and utilizing the higher profile celebrity cameos. David Cross, Andy Richter, Jeanine Garafolo, Rachel Dratch and Tina Fey are all used very well and in small doses so that they don't overshadow the main players. Andy Richter and David Cross's characters in particular, had me out of breath with laughter, as they are both charicatures of people we've probably all met and loathed.

I cannot stress enough how offbeat this particular brand of humor is, but there's nothing that would stop me from recommending this gem to anyone in order to extend its current one-week run at the Sunshine Cinemas in Downtown Manhattan. It truly deserves a larger audience. Go see this wherever you can and go in with an open mind. I guarantee you laugh at times without quite knowing why and you'll feel great about it. I got to see this movie free at an advanced screening and I would gladly (and will later this week) pay to see it again.