Imogene

Being a fan of Kristin Wiig, I was excited for this movie. Then it was barely marketed, quietly released, poorly reviewed, and flopped. I don't understand.

Kristin Wiig plays Imogene, a neurotic and insecure woman unsuccessfully trying to make it as a writer in NYC. The character is very similar to the one she played in Bridesmaids....which is OK with me. I was more than happy to spend more time with this woman.

After faking a suicide attempt to get her ex boyfriend's attention, Imogene winds up in the hospital. She is subsequently released to the custody of her mother played by Annette Bening who is simply terrific playing a character who reminded me of the Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Imogene returning to the tacky and dysfunctional home in New Jersey where she grew up makes for the comedy here. There are many laugh out loud moments. Living in the house is her mother's boyfriend George Boosh! (Matt Dillon) who claims to work for the CIA, her somewhat mentally challenged but sweet younger brother, and a border played by a very appealing Darren Criss whom Imogene develops an interest in.

There may be a bit too much going on in this film. A subplot of Imogene trying to find her biological father doesn't do too much to move the story along. The ending also goes way over the top. But ultimately, Kristin Wiig makes Imogene a flawed yet lovable character who we root for. I left the theater in a great mood.

I've never reviewed a movie here before, but I'm doing it because most of what I've seen online and in my local paper were at best tepid, if not downright negative. Frankly, it is a much better comedy of manners than "Bridesmaids" was-- that one relied far too heavily on the Judd Apatow gross-out factor. (As if proving that women could be as stupid as men is some kind of feminist triumph.) Wiig's skill-- and the terrific Annette Bening's, as well-- is to tread the fine line between comic sketch exaggeration and the rueful comedy in the human condition. One of the better comedies I've seen in awhile, and deserves spreading the good word.

The myth of Thanksgiving, the American-dream dissected, shattered, and taken apart, or is it?

This film is set in two cities. One city is New York City. The other is Ocean City in New Jersey, on the opposite side of the Hudson River.

Lead actress Kristen Wiig plays Imogene. A difficult role to play, because Imogene is not really very nice at all. She is a New York-socialite and is arrogant, demanding, and generally unpleasant. Film opens with her in NY with her rich boyfriend, flat and job.

This self-centred woman has a massive change in circumstances which end up forcing her to return to her family in Ocean City. Thus film opens like 'Hope Floats' (1998). Like Sandra Bullock in that film, Imogene has to return home, having not fulfilled her expectations.

Now socialite Imogene has left glamorous NY and returns to a more working-class Ocean City, and her working-class family. Annette Bening, of 'Ruby Sparks' (2012), plays her mother. An unrecognizable Matt Dillon plays a boyfriend. However, the real stand out performance, is by Christopher Fitzgerald, who plays brother Ralph.

The problems and the disputes in the family are shown realistically, as are the interactions between the members of the family. The scenes between brother and sister capture the relationship perfectly. The pair have grown up together, two kids, brother and sister, still always kids with each other.

The contrast between the two cities of NY, and Ocean City, is shown well. In this, film is similar to 'Working Girl' (1988), 'Silver Linings Playbook' (2012) or 'The Heat' (2013). Nathan Corddry of 'Harry's Law', like in 'The Heat', here too makes a brief appearance. Class-differences and family-differences are portrayed well.

The Theo Paphitis autobiography has a jaw-dropping page one. This film has a similar jaw-dropping twist. There is also a funny twist reminiscent of 'Ruthless People' (1986).

This is a funny film about the family and the American-dream. Rated 12A in the UK, this film is about the family, but is not a film for the whole family. Two people are seen in bed, not sleeping, and thus 12+ would be a good age guide.

While 'Working Girl' portrayed a rise, this film is more about a fall, and a return home. However some great music, book-ends this film, rather like the 'WG' film.

Film contains comedy, drama and some romance. 9/10.

I went to see this movie in Paris last night for a premiere, though it was called Imogene. I was inclined to go not because of the story line but that Kirsten Wiig and Darren Criss were doing a Q & A after the showing. That was worth seeing the movie in itself, but I was very pleased with the film.

It may not be a movie you want to spend $10 on a viewing at the cinema but it is very much worth seeing. The dialogue was well written, the characters you grew to care about very quickly. Though, Kirsten has done a movie where her life has gone out of control and she has to get back on her feet, i.e. Bridesmaids, this did feel different. Christopher Fitzgerald as Ralph did brilliantly and often steals whatever scene he's in. Darren Criss does a great job and proves he doesn't need to be typecast he has much more range than you've seen on Glee.

I highly recommend catching this movie at some point and for those who wait for DVD its worth renting for sure.

Girl Most Likely is full of potential and just like it's heroin, a lot is expected from it. It's a great set up with an amazing cast but where it has all those strengths- it's weaknesses are equal if not stronger.

The film follows Imogene (Kristen Wiig), an unlikable whining 30 year old woman- child. Once a successful up and coming playwright, Imogene is in a major slump. After a fake suicide attempt she is released by the hospital into the hands of her gambling addicted mother (Annette Bening). Imogene is taken against her will from the comforts of New York to where she grew up, a New Jersey boardwalk town, that she hates with a passion. There she finds her mother is dating a younger man who may or may not be a CIA agent (Matt Dillon) and meets an even younger man (Darren Criss) who is renting out her childhood bedroom. When Imogene and her younger brother Ralph (Christopher Fitzgerald) find out their long deceased father is actually alive and well, Imogene makes it her goal to find and reunite with him.

From the get go Girl Most Likely tries to instill in your brain what it is like to be Imogene by some shabby point of view camera work. In fact most of the visual appeal of the film really just rests on the expressive and handsome shoulders of young up and comer Darren Criss who, as the sexy happy go- lucky Lee, represents what Imogene should aspire to be but fails to become.

Wiig, who is known for her eccentric and outrageous characters (Saturday Night Live, Bridesmaids) plays the straight man to Imogene's kooky family. She does not do well as the straight man in this film. Imogene is grumpy, selfish and irrational. She uses her own self sabotaged failure as an excuse to be awful to her family and friends.

Dillon and Bening (The Kids Are All Right) do their best caricatures of their characters, but never really get past the shtick. However, Fitzgerald does a fine job as Imogene's sweet "special" adult brother Ralph, he is so innocently wide eyed and optimistic that you could hate Imogene for not coming to visit in years.

To be fair, there are many funny moments in Girl Most Likely. Awkward laugh out loud gold moments. The film keeps going back and forth between outrageous comedy to slow burning indie, making it an uneven ride. It's about Imogene growing up and learning to love the family she has and not the one she thinks they should be- and she does learn to love them but it's not enough. She has larger issues and the ending doesn't feel resolved for her or an audience who spends 103 minutes trying to root for her.