(Dean)

Excellent movie, really nice and slow. Great humor too. And the soundtrack is amazing.

I had the privilege of meeting Demetri Martin for the first time in this movie. Written, acted, directed and visuals. Which perhaps gives me a perspective not tainted by expectations or comparisons. I found the slow burn dry humour wonderfully fresh and exceptionally entertaining. The movie is well balanced and never goes down a rabbit hole of grief, awkwardness, friendship or life. Like a mini-golf game, the ball circles these holes masterfully and skillfully. This is a family movie without the grit in the eye and smut that clutters our screens so frequently. The soundtrack was spot-on and my 18-year-old daughter connected to the movie through this angle. In all, a good movie with a good simple story masterfully crafted. I will follow Demetri with keen interest from now on. He stirred my Woody Allen genes, which says a lot about the level his talent is benchmarked at. By me, that is. A pleasant saturday evening movie with a nice glass of Pinot.

'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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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.

Don't know if this really happen to star writer and director Demetri Martin but it does feels personal and a very real processes of grieving.

What is it with Gillian Jacobs' being cast to be the girlfriend of these awkward guys? Guess that's her thing (I'm just assuming based on her role in Love on Netflix).

Not enough Kevin Kline in this movie and that's a shame. Not into romantic comedies but I would love to see one if Kevin Kline is playing a man looking for love. The both times I recall him doing it (including this one) have him doing some really good acting. Charming and expressive, It felt like he was really into the woman he was courting. Then again, I'm sure it's not hard to fall in love with Mary Steenburgen (Who was in the Last movie I saw Kline get romantic in, Last Vegas)

It reminds me of Nebraska but not as good. Just in the concept that those who can relate to the material would like it more.

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