The Late Bloomer

First of all I love "stupid" sort of funny stoner types of movies. I can appreciate raunchy sort of humor. The problem with this movie is it just doesn't deliver. I'm a Kevin Pollak fan... and I think he was going for some sort of "American Pie" type of humor here...but it just misses the mark. Lot's of potential and a pretty good premise but just failed to make me actually laugh. I thought the lead actor was sort of meh in it...he did an OK job but wasn't very likable.... and had they done a few things differently I think it could've been funny. Some people probably will say this movie would only be funny to a certain type of person...but I'm that type of person...and it literally didn't even induce a smile. It's not that it wasn't well acted...because it was (kinda)...but they just didn't push the envelope far enough with this one. This is one movie that could've really used some extra raunch to make it funny. The relationship between the main character and his friends doesn't have any chemistry...the guy who is supposed to be the comic relief is just...not funny.... there is nobody likable in this film and that's sort of a problem in a movie where you're supposed to be pulling for the lovable loser...he isn't lovable... he is most certainly a loser...but ...I dunno this movie had a cool enough premise to be funny...they just failed miserably at making it funny in the slightest. Waste of a good cast. :-/

This film is okay for adults but no children please. Not really my cup of tea but some really liked it.

Okay, so here's the thing -- I watched this film over a week ago, and I'm still thinking about it. Why? Because I get riled up over films that are SO CLOSE to being good, but just... aren't.

The Late Bloomer definitely falls into this category. There are bits of dialogue and interactions between characters which are genuinely top-notch comedy, and the supporting cast put in one of the best ensemble performances I've seen in ages. Seriously. Kumail Nanjiani in particular is fantastic, and J.K. Simmons continues to be the best supporting actor in Hollywood right now.

Buuuuuut... there are six writing credits listed, and it's likely that therein lies the problem. The moments of brilliance are almost completely overshadowed by other bits of writing which are, at best, trite, and at worst completely cringe-worthy. The last twenty minutes or so of the film legitimately don't even make sense, and are among the worst I've seen all year. It really feels like something that was cobbled together from different people who had different ideas of what the film should be, and maybe some of those people were... incorrect.

So yeah, I wish this film was as good as it could have been. A lot of inspired performances and great dialogue that deserved better than what this ends up being.

The Late Bloomer made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. Maybe that's because I'm spectacularly childish being as all the humour was of the awkward sexual kind. I don't care, I loved it! I'm surprised by the negative reviews... Maybe I just have a penchant for pre-pubescent 30 year old's because I actually found myself having a crush on Johnny Simmons which made his angsty teenage strops particularly amusing to me. Loved his parents characters, loved his two sidekicks. Didn't find his love interest particularly appealing. But this is a comedy and to me it totally served it's purpose and kept me entertained and amused throughout.

First off, let me state that I don't like movies like this. The only reason I watched this movie was because I saw Brittany Snow was in it. And honestly, she killed it. I loved her character as Michelle. She was so sweet, and her performance, along with the great J.k. Simmons, really carried this film.

However, the rest of the film left a lot to be desired. The film's premise was interesting enough (And supposedly, the movie is loosely based on the life of Ken Baker. Baker told his son that a third was pure fiction, a third was partially true, and a third was straight out of his life). An adult going through puberty could be funny. But honestly, it felt like they forced all the sexual jokes, which is sad because I thought the start of the film was really sweet. Also, going through puberty doesn't make you a jerk. The main character is a straight jerk. But then again, all the men in this movie are selfish jerks.

I didn't have high hopes for this film going to end, and I left disappointed. But if you have nothing else to do, give it a watch if only for Brittany Snow.