Adult Beginners

For most independent drams helmed by either the Duplass brothers Jay and Mark, or their production company aptly named "Duplass Brothers Productions," the stakes are relatively low for the characters. The films are human dramas centered around realism, naturalism in the acting, and complete and total "directness" when it comes to the filming style (this style and approach has gone on to be known as "mumblecore"). Most of the films from this approach have been winning or at least adequate, in my mind, because often times, in addition to exploring a series of characters, some likable, some not, most of whom, however, real, they give the audience complex ideas to consider and themes to ponder about whilst watching the film. They're almost the "what would you do?" series of films.

The stakes in Adult Beginners, though, are far too low. At not even ninety minutes, the film races past and forgets to have anything potentially threatening or contemplative happen. Even for this eclectic and minimalist genre, it's a shell of a film that has an idea, characters, and potential, though it forgets the lemon and lime to its custard.

The story concerns a hipster entrepreneur named Jake (Nick Kroll), who moves in with his estranged, pregnant sister Justine (Rose Byrne) following the failure of his company on the eve of its big launch. The company was said to usher in a whole new world of technological progress, but when a deal with the developer fell through during the celebration, millions of dollars from investors were lost and, in just twelve hours, Jake went from being a renowned innovator to a complete fraud. Justine lives with her husband Danny (Bobby Cannavale) and their three-year-old son in the suburbs, and, in an effort to rebound Jake on his feet, Justine and Danny pay Jake to babysit their son. As expected, this is easier said than done and Jake winds up struggling to keep up with their child. On top of that, Danny is harboring a secret, Justine is secretly depressed and desperate for some kind of social interaction and companionship, and Jake's narcissism is addressed all while the three souls search for some level of contentment in their routine lives.

This scenario isn't foreign to many mumblecore and contemporary independent films in America. Adult Beginners tackles familiar ideas of post-college disillusionment and the cruel realization of many narcissists (or general workaholics) that their ways of life have, in turn, paved a path for them that includes alienation from the ones they love, high stress-levels, recurring sadness, and a lack of free time to indulge in activities that were once top priority for them.

The problem is, with that sole paragraph, I developed the characters in this film more than director Ross Katz or writers Jeff Cox and Liz Flahive do. The film meanders on, with impossibly low stakes for the characters, drama that never gets serviced or fizzles before it can really develop, and, in turn, a film that finds itself plodding along in a manner that doesn't make it that funny on a comedic level or that investing on a dramatic level. Adult Beginners is keen with waiting for something happen to it rather than making something happen to the characters or their situations.

The performers here have proved themselves capable, and to be fair, they're not the reason this project is so mediocre. While Kroll executes the lacking charm of an egotist, Byrne does some of her best work here by simply being a likable and emotionally honest presence. She doesn't decorate her character in theatrics or impossibly unreal beauty where she looks glamorous going out to get her mail in the morning. She's an honest, overworked, and under-appreciated young mother, who leads a great marriage, though that's about it. Her likability and relatability is high here and she dazzles from her first moment on screen. Finally, there's Cannavale, another fun and charismatic presence in nearly everything he's done (particularly Danny Collins as of late), and his character's duality here - though contrived and a bit of a wrench in the story - is the most daring Adult Beginners is throughout its entire story.

As stated, this is like a main-course without any kind of flavorful zest or kick to make it come alive. At most, it's a completionist film for its genre and the Duplass brothers' productions. Where Adult Beginners could've explored the idea of unfit adults getting ready to own the title in their daily activities by raising kids, holding jobs, and assimilating to mainstream culture - as the story and the genre suggests - it settles for something lower than bare minimum, which is its existence.

Starring: Nick Kroll, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, and Joel McHale. Directed by: Ross Katz.

Jake is not awesome. Jake is also broke and now stuck living on his sister's air mattress in New Jersey in the independent comedy Adult Beginners.

Adult Beginners appears to be judged a bit more harshly, and rather unjustly, due to individual viewers' biases against Nick Kroll. The plot may not be the most original, but the characters are real and identifiable, and as far as indie films go, a well done effort.

Jake, played by Nick Kroll, is an entrepreneur behind the next big tech item. Unfortunately, its production is doomed and he is out his entire investment, his and several others' large venture capital. What does one do when they've failed in Manhattan? Why, go back to your family with your tail between your legs to the suburbs of New Jersey! His sister Justine, played by Rose Byrne, isn't completely pleased but agrees to let him stay for three months and watch her and her husband's (Bobby Cannavale) son.

The plot has been done to death, and that is the only thing working against Adult Beginners as a film. The character types are also far from original, from the narcissistic protagonist to the less than perfect family he is forced to stay with. So, you may ask yourself, why bother watching the movie? Because, Adult Beginners is enjoyable. The drama of the story is not too serious so the film still has an 'escapist' effect. The writing is natural and fluid and the acting realistic and entertaining. The fun is in the medley of recognizable faces that make cameos throughout the film. It seems unfathomable that someone could hate Adult Beginners because it is a perfectly likable film, and is in fact, quite a nice watch and I would do it again.

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Adult Beginners' plot: After becoming a pariah to just about everyone he's connected with after a failed product launch, self-centred entrepreneur Jake (played by stand-up comic Nick Kroll) returns to his childhood home where his sister, Justine (played by Rose Byrne), and brother-in-law, Danny (played by Bobby Cannavale), live with their three-year-old son. As Jake licks his wounds and contemplates his next step, he comes to appreciate the value of family and the virtue of humility.

Kroll would seem to be an unlikely candidate to play a character who rediscovers their humanity in a comedic film with touchy feely leanings like Adult Beginners, considering the abrasive nature of his stand-up act and his television roles on The League and Kroll Show. His snide personality is intact initially, mind you, but that edge is gradually dulled as Jake is welcomed into his sister's home and takes on the nanny responsibilities for his nephew. The fish-out-of-water scenario rarely yields impactful results, however, be they of the moving or comedic variety, and the movie rarely goes anywhere you're not expecting it to. Kroll acquits himself decently with the limited material, as do Byrne and Cannavale, who are given their own marital issues to wrestle with as a subplot. Peripheral characters played by Jane Krakowski, Josh Charles, Paula Garces, and Joel McHale barely register, although one scene with Saturday Night Live's Bobby Moynihan playing a former classmates of Jake's delivers the movie's best laughs and will ring true for anyone who's had one of those run-ins with someone from your past that you wouldn't even want as a Facebook friend.

Adult Beginners disappoints with its skimpy joke-to-laugh ratio and ability to move the viewer with Jake's transformation, adding up to a slight movie that's unlikely to stay with you for very long.

I really enjoyed Adult Beginners for about the first hour. I was surprised at its score and reception because it was one of the more realistic dramedies about family life and adulthood I've seen in recent memory. The characters felt real, the chemistry was phenomenal, I cared about what was happening, and it was nice to see Nick Kroll playing the straight everyman for once. As great as Kroll was, he didn't quite carry the movie as much as the supporting cast did. Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale are fantastic as Kroll's sister and her husband (and their chemistry is palpable, given they're a couple in real life), and they play off Kroll's deadpan humor with sincerity and ease. It was great to see Kroll's character having to redo his entire life, then crashing his sister's place and having to adjust to this family-centered lifestyle. It was honest and heartfelt, and there are moments between Kroll and Cannavale (who plays the brother-in-law) that are genuinely deep and thought provoking. I wanted more of that.

The humor is intermittent. It's not really a laugh-out-loud comedy despite what you might think with this cast. It's far more subdued and dramatic than a typical Nick Kroll vehicle, and it worked. For a while, anyway. The last 30 minutes of this movie felt like the writers tried to tie the movie up in a pretty pink bow as quickly as possible and call it a day. It was so rushed and half-hearted, leaving interesting subplots by the wayside and throwing this faux happily-ever-after ending that completely detracts from the overall tone. Everything is well-paced and subtle before then, taking you along for the ride and keeping you strapped in for every awkward situation or heartfelt moment, but the ending makes it all for nothing. It's like, "That's it? What happened to everything else I just saw?" The authenticity went out the window.

Having said that, Adult Beginners is very relatable. These feel like real people going through real life crises, and each of the main characters have depth and character flaws that you want to be explored. Some of them are, some aren't. Overall though, I enjoyed this movie for what it was, and if you don't mind a lame ending, I think it's definitely worth a watch.

Jake (Nick Kroll) screws up a business deal and loses lots of money. His investors are angry. He leaves NYC and goes back to the family home. His sister Justine (Rose Byrne) is pregnant and puts him to work babysitting his nephew Teddy. Her husband Danny (Bobby Cannavale) is fixing up the home for sale. She signs Jake up with Teddy in a swim class for mommy and kid. Jake suspects that Danny is cheating with the real estate agent.

Rose Byrne is utterly charming. Bobby Cannavale is a great suburban dad. Nick Kroll is fine for this role although his big screen charisma is still in doubt. The material feels lighter than it could have been. The drama is not pushed that hard. There is one good moment when Justine downplays something which actually elevates the material. There are a couple of those scenes and the really endearing Byrne which make this better than nice.