How to Be

A young man is a psychologically mess... his girlfriend leaves him, he doesn't mesh well with his friends, he loses his volunteer job. He turns to the strangest place for help: a Canadian therapist who moves in with him.

This is director Oliver Irving's first and only film, as of this writing. And it's a good one. It is an IFC film, and there's no denying it fits in that category alongside Wes Anderson films and perhaps "Garden State". This won't be as big, and with good reason, but thanks to Robert Pattinson's popularity, it will get more viewings from people who would otherwise never have heard of it.

I really enjoyed the therapist (who sadly appears to have passed during the making of this film). And Pattinson does a fine job as a whiny nerd. His character is incredibly annoying, but such a different one from "Twilight" or "Remember Me" that it gives me the sense that he just might have a bit of range inside of him and may someday break free of the Edward Cullen trap.

In my opinion, I thought this was a wonderful film for anybody who can relate. I've recently lived through this type of situation and the confusion, sadness and disjointedness Art feels trough out the film is all very... what word would be best to describe this... exact. Or almost. The film has been given the title of a comedy and, I agree. Though the production is more of a drama, you do have your sudden outbursts of laughter in those unexpected moments of comedic weirdness. I also appreciated the range of different actors in the film. It's in these types of movies you can actually see real acting talent. It's a must watch for any teen who is lost right now.

I attended the DC Independent Film Festival's screening of How To Be here in Washington, DC.

I loved it! I like quiet little movies like this. It's all dialogue-rich, and location sets, and natural composition. I thought the casting was perfect: the characters were organic and realistic, other than Dr. Ellington (the personal therapist) who was supposed to be a caricature rather than a true character in the film. This gave it a subtly surreal dynamic, which I thought was a nice touch.

The script was great, IMO. I generally like good character sketches, though, so I suppose I could see people who are not interested in the same being less than thrilled with it. But I like the themes that Art brings to the story. They are typical and simple themes, like love, direction, family, friends, work, sadness, happiness. The characters are wholly irreverent and hilariously unique. For a very small film, this script is nicely fleshed out.

The direction, production, and editing were great! I didn't catch any mistakes. They had a thorough cinematographer, too. I thought the lighting was pleasing, and the sound was mixed/edited nicely.

And yes. Rob Pattinson's performance is stellar. For being a self-proclaimed "untrained" actor, he's got such a wonderful and daring on-screen presence. Art is pathetic...so freakin' pathetic. And Pattinson embodies him with such precise depth. His comedic delivery, his physical timing, his vocal performance; I swear, it's all flawless. He really reaches inside himself to find that space where depression and anxiety live, and he dives into the process of putting himself back together again. You really root for the guy, pathetic as he is. As Pattinson's fame swells exponentially in the coming years, this one will become a sleeper testament to his acting chops--teeny bopper vampire love stories be damned.

for people saying this isn't funny or whatever, its not a comedy. it just has its slightly humerus/tragic moments that may appear funny to you if you can relate.

to me, its kind of a mix between I <3 huccabees and ghost world. Yeah its kind of off beat and slow paced but that doesn't make it a bad film. I can completely relate to art, struggling to connect with a distant and dysfunctional family. he is frustrated with his life and struggling to see reason and purpose.

I liked this film, because it addresses dysfunctional families, mental health and feelings of disassociation with the world around us. And I'm not a fan of Robert really, so the assertion in earlier comments that only Patterson obsessed ppl would like it, and only out of bias, is very unfair to this film I think.

its rare to find films similar to this that really communicate this feeling of frustration and search for answers. all the characters seem very self involved, and that seems to be the way of the world. it has to be common to feel alone when no one actually listens to what you say.

After spending some time in the UK I honestly thought I get British humor. After watching this, I truly think I don't.

Although the movie is well produced, the character of Art played brilliantly by Pattinson, I found myself feeling mostly sorry for him and not seeing the funny part. I see the great job of all the people involved in the production but I can't say it suits my type of sense of humor. There were moments I smiled or half-smiled but never laughed at loud.

So, over all, I don't regret watching the movie, neither would I recommend it as a great, funny comedy .