(Dean)

First of all, writing, directing and starring in a project is never too easy even if you're surrounded by such talented group of people. Yet, Demitri Martin handles it really good and brings a really beautiful tone to this movie. Even though, it is actually a very personal story it does not alienates you and tells it with such warm and realistic way. The one most stood out was how the illustrations summed up the some of the scenes or how used as an interlude between ones. Totally recommend this beautiful and highly relatable story!

'DEAN': Three Stars (Out of Five)

An indie comedy-drama written and directed by actor Demetri Martin, who also stars in the film. Martin plays a Brooklyn cartoon artist (he also did all of the illustrations for the movie) named Dean, who recently lost his mother and broke up with his fiancé. The film costars Kevin Kline,Gillian Jacobs, Rory Scovel, Mary Steenburgen and Reid Scott. It's gotten mostly positive reviews from critics, and it won Best Narrative Feature at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, but it also underperformed at the indie Box Office. I found it to be slightly amusing, but not nearly as emotional as it seems to think it is.

Dean (Martin) is a published cartoon artist who lives in Brooklyn and recently lost his mother. He's having difficulty dealing with her passing, as is his father, Robert (Kline), who's also having trouble adjusting to living alone. Dean was engaged to be married, to Michelle (Christine Woods), but after his mom died, things didn't work out. He performs very poorly in his best friend Brett's (Scott) wedding, as a 'second best man', and then travels to Los Angeles to meet with some ad executives about using his art. He meets a woman, named Nicky (Jacobs), at a Los Angeles party there, and starts to fall for her. The whole time he still tries to cope with his mother's passing, deal with his recent breakup, and try to convince his dad not to sell their family home.

The movie has all of the ingredients of a well made (and emotional) comedy drama, but it feels like it's just going through all of the motions of one (to me). I think I'm a pretty big sucker for emotional dramas, but this one didn't really make me feel that much. It's slightly funny, and it's filled with sad characters, but it doesn't feel like a complete movie to me. I think Martin probably has some decent talent, as an actor and filmmaker, but he kind of misses the mark here (in my opinion).

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Dimitri Martin writes, directs, and stars here as Dean, who is an illustrator and writer trying to cope with the recent loss of his mother. He's also struggling in his relationship with his father Robert (Kevin Kline), who is also finding his own ways of grieving his loss.

With work on his next book blocked by his sadness, Dean decides to travel from Brooklyn to Los Angeles to meet with a dot.com ad agency who have expressed interest in his drawings. While there, Dean will hook up with some old friends like Eric (Rory Scovel) and Becca (Briga Heelan), as well as meeting a new woman Nicky (Gillian Jacobs).I thought the scenes with his friends and Nicky worked well and were often heartfelt and humorous. However, other parts of this movie seemed awkward and flat, so a mixed bag overall.

All in all, I thought this rather quirky and oddball dramedy, employing lots of deadpan humor, was only partially successful.

I LOVE Demetri Martin's standup. Here, he is writing and directing a film, in the comedy category, about death and grief. He's Dean, who is dealing with his dad (Kevin Kline). Robert is dealing with the loss of his wife, and has decided to sell the house. Mary Steenburgen is Carol, the realtor who will be selling the house. Which Dean isn't happy about. Martin's own artwork and humor are interspersed. There's a funny bit at the wedding where he does a clever word play bit when he gives his toast. The other best man is such an idiot, he thinks he's been insulted. Martin uses a bunch of other comedians in the film: Asif Ali, Jon Benjamin, Beck Bennett. I'm a huge demetri fan, so i liked it. The airplane scene was a little weird. It took a minute to figure out what happened. I totally get the awkwardness Dean feels with everyone. His father. His old friends. Meeting new friends. Potential employers. I loved how no approach worked with the girls... at first, the best friend's line worked, but later, he can't say anything right, and the chicks like Dean instead. It's all pretty random. Which i think is the secret to Martin's humor.

We learn at the beginning of the story that a father and his grown son have just lost a wife and mother and are about to begin the grieving process.The father is played by two time Oscar winner Kevin Kline who turns in an outstanding performance. Likewise Dean, the son, is played by Demetri Martin in a excellent break through performance.. So is the director, screenwriter and producer also in the person of Demetri Martin. An important part of the story are single panel cartoons which are interspersed throughout the film and focuses the mood and irony of various situations in the movie. These drawings are also by Demetri Martin. So who is Demetri Martin? He has been a stand up comic for many years, has worked with Conan O'Brien on TV and has published a book of his own cartoons . He is obviously very talented and was able to draw upon his own experience of having lost a parent at a young age and his understanding of the universal search for love combined with a finely honed sense of humor.

Despite the initial premise of the story, this is really not a sad or tearjerker of a story, except the few times that Dean listens to a saved message on his iPhone of his late mom giving him words of encouragement. This is more a story of exploring different ways of grieving, as well as budding love of both a young and older man. It also uses two great exciting American cities that traditionally have been a backdrop for cinematic romance, New York( Brooklyn) and Los Angeles. The two respective women who have stirred the potential of deep romantic feelings in father and son at a time that they were on opposite coasts were Nicky (Gillian Jacobs) and Carol (Mary Steenburgen). Many of Dean's buddies in the movie, are played by actors and comics who have captured the beat of his generation.

The net result of this 87 minute film is a feel good experience which reminds us that the connection between loss and new love is natural and inevitable. We highly recommend this movie. It is funny and poignant with surprising depth. (2017)