Nice guys are often confused with idiots. They have all of the characteristics of an idiot: they are trust worthy, honest and easy going. That’s exactly the description of the idiot in question. In Our Idiot Brother, Ned (Paul Rudd) is a really nice guy, and a hippy on a run of bad luck. After a stint in prison for selling weed to a uniformed police officer, Ned’s girlfriend leaves him and he’s forced to look to his family for help. He moves in with his mother who wants him to wake up early to go button shopping. Unable to put up with this nonsense, Ned goes on to live with each of his three sisters successively. During this time, he manages to ruin each of their lives.  It is in this ruining that he teaches his sisters about themselves.  In essence, he gives them a chance to grow as people and become closer as a family. 

The best part of this film is its cast. Rudd is a great lead and he is supplemented well by Zooey Deschanel who plays his bisexual sister.   Seeing her make out with the always-amazing Rashida Jones only added to the fun of that role. Jones and Deschanel worked great together as a lesbian couple. While they went through some trials because of Ned’s big mouth, it was Ned who helped to heal their relationship.

Elizabeth Banks is Ned’s sister Miranda. Banks plays opposite Adam Scott who always shines on screen regardless of the size of his roll. Banks and Scott play close friends who have never thought of dating each other. Again, Rudd’s loose tongue causes the two to fight. However, they see the light and realize they have loved one another the whole time.

Finally, Ned’s third sister, Liz, (Emily Mortimer) is married to Dylan (Steve Coogan–yet another great casting decision!) Here Coogan portrays an asshole filmmaker who reluctantly puts Ned to work on his documentary. This ends up being a mistake for him because Ned catches him in the nude with the subject of the documentary and then ruins his sister’s marriage by talking about what he witnessed. If you’re not a fan of two girls kissing, you get a Coogan testicle shot to make up for it!

Seeing Rudd’s interactions with this great cast made the film enjoyable. It was also refreshing to see him play a character a bit different from the norm. Regardless of the excellent casting, it seemed as though the director (Jesse Peretz) couldn’t quite decide between making an all-out comedy or a coming-of-age story. The film was very character driven and we see quite a change in Ned’s sisters while Ned’s main goal is to get his dog, Willie Nelson, back from the previously mentioned ex-girlfriend. While I enjoyed the film, I expected it to be funnier. I still think it’s worth catching to see Rudd in a solid lead role with a slew of other great actors.

If you’ve read Trashwire for any length of time, you know I love the cast of 30 Minutes or Less. We’ve had articles about Jesse Eisenberg’s star-making turn in The Social Network, several about Danny McBride adding flavor to any movie and even an interview with Nick Swardson. As hardcore fans of these guys, I saw the movie from a different perspective than most critics.

The plot, based on a true story, is about pizza guy Nick, played by Eisenberg. He’s basically a loser, stuck in a crappy job racing to deliver pizzas in 30 minutes or less—hence the title.

We switch away from Nick to meet Dwayne and Travis (McBride and Swardson). Dwayne is the son of a lottery winner who treats him like the loser he is and Travis is Dwayne’s sidekick. Like a grown up Beavis and Butt-Head, these two like blowing stuff up and seeing boobs, but Dwayne’s dad, whom we know as The Major (Fred Ward) is none too keen on his son living off his millions. So Dwayne and his faithful sidekick consult with a stripper and devise a plan to hire a hitman named Chango (Michael Peña) to knock off the old man. The only problem is that Chango wants $100,000 for the hit. The guys decide to abduct a pizza guy, strap a bomb to his chest and force him to rob a bank to get the money to pay for Chango’s services.

After waking up from an attack to find himself attached to explosives, Nick panics and consults his best friend, Chet (Aziz Ansari), to try to come up with a solution. The two resign themselves to robbing the bank and, subsequently, there are car chases, someone getting shot with a pen gun, Latin nicknames and a laser pointer.

Eisenberg is a great actor and his skills are apparent here, but it’s Ansari and his Indian gangsta attitude that bring the major laughs. In one scene, he talks about being recognized in the bank robbery because of his “brown hands”, which make him stand out because there are only a few Indian families in town. His interactions with Nick feel real and are often funny. In one scene, Chet reveals that he was responsible for Nick’s parents’ divorce, to which Nick counters by revealing that he slept with Chet’s sister. The two begin to fight and that feud carries on through out the film, even though they’re best friends and Chet’s helping Nick rob a bank.

Another major standout is Peña, whose lines always get a laugh. My favorite scene involves him trying to treat a gunshot wound and assuring himself that he was still a pimp, even if he was nearly crying from the pain of putting alcohol on his wound.

Swardson is funny as Travis, who seems to be reluctantly dragged into this by his best friend. He never knows what Dwayne has planned and he just wants to be sure no one gets hurt. His quiet and timid character is a departure from Reno 911!’s flamboyant rollerskating prostitute or the shit-talking video game tester in Grandma’s Boy. He plays well off McBride, who is more selfish and mean-spirited than Kenny Powers as Dwayne.

As I was laughing in the theater, I knew critics were going to hate this movie, as they often do with R-rated comedies. Sure, if you’re looking for Oscar-quality “high art” 30 Minutes or Less isn’t the movie for you, but if you’re looking for comedy heavy hitters showcasing their improv skills, you’ll dig it.

Chances are, if you’ve ever had a job, you’ve hated your boss at one point or another. Sure, your boss might not have snorted coke in the office or made you drink scotch at 8am, but everybody’s had a boss they just couldn’t stand. In Horrible Bosses, Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Carlie Day plot to kill their evil employers, bringing justice to the workplace.

Kurt (Sudeikis) has to come in to work every day and deal with his sleazy, cokehead boss Bobby, played by a comb-over wearing Colin Farrell. Bobby’s dad is the founder of the company and a father figure to Kurt, but when he dies from a heart attack, Bobby takes over and runs the place like a strip mall version of Studio 54. He does drugs, he brings in questionable women and he forces Kurt to fire fat or disabled people.

Dale (Day) is living on the other side of the spectrum at his job as a dental hygienist. Instead of having a boss who outwardly tortures him, his boss, Julia (Jennifer Aniston), is a little too friendly for comfort. In fact, she spends most days overtly sexually harassing him. When Dale’s fiancee comes in for an appointment, Julia knocks her out with nitrous and tries to have sex with him on top of his unconscious bride-to-be.

Still, the king of all bad bosses is Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey) who spends his days mind fucking Nick (Bateman) into submission. He teases Nick with false promises of promotions, forces him to down a tumbler of scotch first thing in the morning and publicly humiliates him in front of the entire staff.

One night, after a heavy drinking session, the guys decide their bosses have got to go and set out to find a hitman who can handle the job. In a bar in the scary part of town, they find Motherfucker Jones (Jamie Foxx), a tough dude who just got out of jail. Instead of doing the hit himself, he acts as a “murder consultant” and proposes that the guys kill each other’s bosses.

This leads them down a road of recon missions and minor crimes until one boss is dead and they find themselves in too deep.

Horrible Bosses begins with the Office Space-like reality of working for someone you hate. It seems like that subtle tone might be carried through out as the slow-moving plot starts to unfold. Then things start ramping up when they guys meet Jones and the plot starts spinning out from slightly real into wacky Hollywood comedy. The jokes get more broad as the film starts to rely on physical humor instead of the clever delivery at the beginning.

Thankfully, Horrible Bosses has a cast to die for, so even when the jokes are broad, they’re still funny. Bateman has already proved he can do deadpan with Arrested Development and Sudeikis’ wit comes through in every line. Still, it’s Day, the wild card, that makes the scene. Having such great actors as the despicable villains doesn’t hurt either. The cast is what prevents this movie from becoming your average predictable comedy.

It’s no Office Space, but the cast of Horrible Bosses brings some good laughs.

Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis in The Hangover Part II

Have you ever gone on vacation somewhere and had the best time ever? You got to relax, forget all about work and do something fun for a change. In fact, it was so fun that you vowed to go back, but when you returned the next year, it was nowhere near as fun as the first time around. Yeah, that’s pretty much The Hangover Part II.

The Wolfpack is back, drinking, blacking out and getting into all sorts of trouble–only this time it’s in Thailand. It seems that the basic theory with everything in this sequel is that it should be bigger and more insane than the first movie.

This time, it’s mild-mannered Stu (Ed Helms) who’s getting married to a lovely girl with strict parents who hate him, despite his good nature. His friends Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Doug (Justin Bartha) will join him in Thailand for the wedding. After some convincing, he reluctantly invites Alan (Zach Galifianakis), the founding member of the Wolfpack who accidentally roofied him just a couple years prior. The guys are joined by Teddy (Mason Lee), the bride’s brother and an overachieving Stanford student. This time, it’s Teddy, not Doug, who goes missing after the wild night, leading the gang to unravel clues to find their friend and not ruin the wedding. Of course, you couldn’t revisit The Hangover without Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) and Mike Tyson, so they’re inexplicably in it too.

Because it’s set in Thailand, the situations have gone beyond regular ridiculous to totally nuts. Remember the tiger in the bathroom? Well, swap that for a monkey. How about Mr. Chow and the gang of bad ass Asian dudes after the guys in the first movie? Well now it’s Paul Giamatti and another gang of thugs. Remember when Stu incoherently hooked up with a stripper/escort (Heather Graham) in the first one? Now the stripper/escort is a Thai ladyboy (pornstar Yasmin Lee). Everything is amped up, or as George Lucas would say, “faster and more intense!”

It’s not like the movie isn’t funny. There are definitely some laughs, but it feels like any other comedy, not like the instant-classic original Hangover. All the jokes seem forced and it’s clear that this movie was more of a business decision than a legitimate comedic effort.

Some people say that women aren’t funny. In fact, in the grand history of comedy, women have been mostly relegated to playing girlfriends and wives of the leading men. Even today, many of comedy’s female stars are considered hot chicks first and comediennes second. If Hollywood does make a movie with a predominately female cast, it’s a “chick flick” and and the laughs are sparse. Thankfully, Bridesmaids throws click flick conventions out the window and gives us a female version of Wedding Crashers or The Hangover.

Kirsten Wiig and Maya Rudolph are long-time BFFs Annie and Lillian. When single gal Annie (Wiig) finds out that Lillian’s (Rudolph) boyfriend just proposed, her life takes a bit of a weird turn. She’s happy for her friend and panicked for herself, realizing her life hasn’t panned out the way she wanted. To make matters worse, she finds herself fighting for Lillian’s attention when Lillian’s new best buddy, Helen (Rose Byrne) comes into the picture. Helen is gorgeous, wealthy and has tons of experience planning weddings, showers and bachelorette parties, making her competition for Maid of Honor. Like a high school clique, the other bridesmaids (Wendy McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, and Melissa McCarthy tend to go with whomever is in power.

Annie’s life continues to fall apart. She gets kicked out of the apartment she shares with her creepy roommates (Matt Lucas and Rebel Wilson) and gets pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving. But there’s a silver lining when the the cop who pulls her over turns out to be cool and flirty. Annie and Officer Rhodes (Chris O’Dowd) hit it off and things start looking up for our heroine.

We know that Wiig and Rudolph can be funny. They’ve both been stand-outs on SNL and both have impressed in feature films as well. Equally, McLendon-Covey was phenomenal in Reno 911! and Kemper caught our eye in The Office. Even Byrne, who has had success as a serious actress, was fantastic as Jackie Q in Get Him to the Greek.

Still, no one can possibly outshine McCarthy, who absolutely makes the film. In a room full of comedy heavyweights, she comes through with a breakout performance reminiscent of Zach Galifianakis’ turn in The Hangover. One memorable scene with her on a plane flirting with a man she suspects is a Federal Air Marshall is purely incredible. In another, she proposes a fight club themed bachelorette party. Her delivery is impeccable and this career-making performance will probably mean that she’ll be keeping us laughing for years to come.

It’s wonderful to see that other women, beyond superstars like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, can achieve success and acclaim in comedy. There’s certainly enough room for all of them.

Making a sword and sorcery comedy with Oscar-caliber actors can be a blessing and a curse. On one hand, you know you’ve got the best, most talented, and highly acclaimed cast available, but occasionally, they can make silly lines sound a little too professional. David Gordon Green’s Your Highness benefits and suffers from talent.

In this Pineapple Express meets Princess Bride mashup, Danny McBride is Thadeous, a lazy and cowardly prince who lounges around and gets wasted all day. He’s insanely jealous of his dashing and heroic brother Fabious (James Franco) who is unanimously praised by everyone in the kingdom. Fabious’ perfect life is shattered when an evil wizard named Leezar (Justin Theroux) kidnaps his bride-to-be, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel) and re-imprisons her in the very tower that Fabious had just rescued her from. The noble prince embarks on a quest to save his lady love. The king see this as a good way to force his lazier son to straighten up and orders Thadeous and his servant Courtney (Rasmus Hardiker) to go along.

Along the way, they encounter a fierce and extremely beautiful female warrior named Isabel (Natalie Portman) who is also on a quest to kill Leezar. They fight witches, wizards and a well-hung minotaur along the way to the grand finale at Leezar’s lair.

As much as I love McBride, I’m just not sure that he can stand up as a leading man in the same film as Franco. He’s brilliant in Eastbound & Down because his character, Kenny Powers, is the sole focus of the series. Here, the film is lead by a trio of heroes. The only problem is that two of those three are world-renown superstars, which makes it hard to keep focused on our main character, Thadeous. I’ve spent many movies wishing for more McBride, but I’m a little disappointed that Your Highness is his first mainstream foray into leading man territory. I know he could be so much better in something less silly.

Franco and Portman dominate their scenes, both because of their exquisite looks and because they can turn Robin Hood: Men in Tights dialogue into Lord of the Rings–even if they’re not trying to. Both are best as the straight man to McBride (it is his movie after all) but their funny lines can occasionally shift the comedic focus away from our star.

The film feels wholly ad libbed. Improvisation is great when there’s still a central focus and direction for the story. Actors can throw in a funny line or two, but you can’t Curb You Enthusiasm your way through a feature film. I’m sure it was a joy to work on the film, but this free style means that Your Highness feels a bit too loose.

In no way would I categorize Your Highness as a bad film. There are tons of laughs and the cast obviously has a natural chemistry. It just seems like the bar was set too high for this film. All the elements are there, but the whole doesn’t equal the sum of the parts. I’m sure I’ll get some added appreciation for it when I see the special features on the inevitable unrated DVD.

Let’s just say you’re on a flight from LAX to JFK. You’ve got 5 hours and your laptop battery is halfway dead. Then the flight attendants hand out the headphones and tell you your in-flight entertainment will be the remake of Arthur, starring Russell Brand. Or maybe it’s late on a work night and you just can’t fall asleep, so you flip on HBO and you see Helen Mirren and Jennifer Garner in this light rom-com, so you stick around and watch the rest of the film. In those scenarios, you’d be happy with Arthur and feel satisfied as the credits rolled. You might not feel the same if you plunked down $20 plus parking to see a movie that’s rather mundane, despite it’s talented stars.

Brand is Arthur Bach, an immature playboy whose wealth has allowed him to indulge his every fantasy, from crashing the Batmobile to shutting down Grand Central Station to impress a girl.

When Arthur’s crazy antics get to be a little too public, his cold and distant mother (Geraldine James) threatens to cut him off if he doesn’t agree to settle down and marry successful businesswoman Susan, played by Jennifer Garner. But, oh no, Arthur doesn’t love Susan. He loves Naomi (Greta Gerwig), the poor aspiring children’s book author from Queens whom he met on one of his money-hemorrhaging jaunts about town.

With the help of his best friend and long-time nanny Hobson (Mirren), Arthur must learn to grow up, take on responsibility and take care of himself for a change before he can get the girl.

It’s no secret that I love Russell Brand. He was absolutely perfect as Aldous Snow in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek and he always brings his unique swagger to every role. If he weren’t so quick and charismatic, Arthur would barely be watchable. His scenes with Mirren are some of the funniest in the film and his obvious ad libs make the writing seem a little less cliche.

Praise is also due to Gerwig, a relative unknown in this cast of familiar faces. Maybe it’s because, unlike with Garner’s character, they actually gave Naomi a bit more of a personality. She’s quirky and awkward, but caring and easy going as opposed to the one-dimensional Cruella DeVille caricature they handed to poor Garner.

As a fan of Brand, my concern with Arthur is typecasting. We always see him playing eccentric British celebrity who can get any girl and does everything to excess until he finally learns a life lesson in the end. And that’s ok–Brand is great in those roles–but will audiences grow tired of these similar characters? At least the Aldous Snow movies are made by filmmakers who know how to appreciate some good improvisation. These movies follow the Kanye West philosophy of “let me be great!” and let their stars come up with killer jokes in the moment. A comedic mind like Brand’s is wasted on a weak and cliche script.

Basically, you’ll be content about the movie while you’re waiting for your luggage at baggage claim, but if you’re walking to your car from a movie theater, you might feel a bit shortchanged.

Any movie written by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, starring Seth Rogen and Kristen Wiig and featuring a scene set at Comic Con is right up my alley, so naturally, I was very excited for Paul. The film is a hilarious mixture of E.T. and Pineapple Express with a little Shaun of the Dead throw in for extra flavor.

Pegg and Frost star as Graeme Willy and Clive Collgings, a couple of English nerds who write unpublished sci-fi books and draw comic books. When we first meet our two heroes, they are delighting in the nerd Christmas that is San Diego Comic Con. Their interest in all things outer space is clear when they finally meet their hero, sci-fi author Adam Shadowchild (Jeffrey Tambour). The alien theme carries through as the duo continue their nerdy adventure, departing San Diego in a camper on a quest to visit famous extraterrestrial landmarks. Little do they know, they are about to have a run in with a genuine alien named Paul (Rogen) who tells them about his escape from Area 51. They take him aboard their RV and agree to help him return to his home planet.

Of course, the government wants to keep Paul’s existence under wraps and dispatches three agents (Jason Bateman, Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio) to acquire Paul and bring him back so they can perform more scientific experiments on him. As Graeme, Clive and Paul flee from the agents, they encounter a devout Christian named Ruth (Wiig) who runs an RV camp. Upon discovering Paul, her entire world view is shaken and she suddenly decides to become a sinner, swearing and trying to make out with Graeme. Together, the three humans experience a series of bizarre and hilarious events before reaching their destination with their alien friend.

We already know Pegg and Frost can be funny, both as actors and writers. Combine them with Rogen and Wiig, mix in a little sci-fi nerdiness and you’ve got a great comedy.

Paul plays to the nerd in all of us, throwing out references to classic sci-fi films and tapping into our shared geek knowledge. From the t-shirts to the scenery, everything seems to come back to memorable moments in Star Wars, Close Encounters and other significant sci-fi flicks from decades past. A scene set in a cowboy bar subtly mimics the cantina scene in Star Wars and another scene with Paul giving out movie advice is set in the storage room from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Even the rendezvous point for Paul to be picked up by the mothership is familiar. It’s so rewarding because we feel that the filmmakers dig these movies as much as we do and they’re able to reference them in original ways.

We rarely think of comedies as special effects movies, but the CG in Paul deserves recognition. While computers can make huge movies like Avatar, often times, the best CG is the kind we never notice at all. In Paul, the computer imagery blends with the live-action footage, making it seem rather realistic, despite the out-of-this-world premise. Paul’s movements feel real and the animation is able to capture the expression in each scene.

Of couse, the key factor for Paul is the cast. Everyone is good, not just the primary characters. Hader and Lo Truglio are a great pair of bumbling agents with authority because they don’t play their characters as dumb, just inexperienced and over-excited. Bateman is awesome as Lorenzo Zoil (yes, that’s the character’s name). He manages to capture that David Caruso cheesiness in a way that’s actually intended to be funny. A small cameo from Jane Lynch is like a bonus prize.

With such great writers and such a roster of talent, Paul fires out the laughs. Unlike a lot of buddy comedies, it isn’t all dude humor; instead, it’s nerdy dude humor. Paul isn’t just for nerds, but nerds are guaranteed to love it.

Before Ricky Gervais was pissing people off at the Golden Globes or writing the original version of The Office with friend and writing partner Stephen Merchant, he was marveling at the brain of Karl Pilkington, a radio producer assigned to the duo for their program. In fact, anyone who has listened to the widely popular Ricky Gervais Show podcasts or watched The Ricky Gervais Show on HBO is familiar with the musings of this “little, round-headed, bald, missing link, chimp-like buffoon”, as Gervais has so sweetly labeled him.

In the new series An Idiot Abroad, airing here in the U.S. on Science Channel, Gervais and Merchant send Pilkington on a trip around the globe to see various wonders of the world. Pilkington, who barely adjusts to the social protocol of his own culture, tries to wrap his little round head around foreign food, art and customs.

In the premiere episode, Pilkington visits China, traveling along the Great Wall and learning Kung Fu. He’s apprehensive about it, believing everything in China to be weirder than what he’s used to. He also hesitates to call the Great Wall a “wonder” saying, “The Great Wall of China? Whoa, whoa, hang on, it’s the Alright Wall.” Still, he goes to see for himself.

Most travel programs would show us all the amazing, beautiful, culturally significant elements of the country, but Pilkington shows us the things real travelers would see. For example, there are no doors on the bathrooms and the toilets are basically holes in the ground, something that truly bothers him. Like the antithesis of Andrew Zimmern, he is isimultaneously amazed and horrified when he is presented with food ranging from balut (unhatched chicken or duck embryo) to freshly-killed toad. Still, he’s a good sport (most of the time) and tries to give everything a go.

In another scene, Pilkington learns Kung Fu and finds it harder than he expected. His instructor is a legit master who wakes him up at 4am to begin training. Pilkington, of course, remarks that “he’s not a Buddhist, he’s a lunatic!” When his instructor demonstrates his skills by throwing a needle through a pane of glass and into a balloon on the other side, Pilkington gives it a try, accidentally launching the needle into the cameraman’s arm.

Whether it’s getting a fire massage or explaining the pronunciation of his name, Pilkington’s misadventures in China are absolutely hilarious. He sums it all up by saying, “China, dreadful.”

The show, like Pilkington himself, is infinitely quotable and a true delight to watch. Gervais and Merchant decided to send him out into the world half for education and half as practical joke, but seeing him tossed into other cultures is a comedy jackpot. His insights are truly unique and the way he conceptualizes the world makes him effortlessly hilarious. Known the world over for having “a head like a fucking orange”, Pilkington might just be funnier than Gervais himself.

Check out clips from An Idiot Abroad on the Trashwire Blog and find out more about An Idiot Abroad at Science Channel.

More clips below (courtesy of Science Channel)

Karl’s Reaction to No Doors on Toilets (Tonight’s Episode):

Karl Visits the Taj Mahal:

Photo/video credit Science Channel

Films that deal with mental illness often take one of two paths: they go for light hearted comedy, joking about inappropriate outbursts or hallucinations, or they take the tragic route and focus on the ways mental illness can destroy families or shatter the lives of its victims. It’s Kind of a Funny Story combines these two tracks for an interesting story about friendship, love and coping with the pressures of life.

Main character Craig (Keir Gilchrist) is a clinically depressed teen who is seriously considering suicide when he checks himself into the psychiatric ward of a local hospital. The teen wing is undergoing renovations, so Craig mingles with adult patients who have problems more severe than his. He teams up with Bobby (the always amazing Zach Galifianakis) who serves as the social leader of the misfit group. Bobby gives Craig valuable advice—in that special Galifianakis way—about dealing with the pressure he’s put on himself to exceed all expectations and have an ideal future.  He also advises Craig on how to chat up Noelle (Emma Roberts) another teen in the ward. During his mandatory five days in the facility, Craig learns valuable lessons from all the patients and finally sets out to do what he wants, not to endlessly try to please everyone around him.

The comedy primarily comes from Galifianakis, who is absolutely perfect for this role. His straight-faced bizarre behavior, overconfidence and undue leadership make him funny and interesting at the same time. Equally, he is able to bring a strong performance in the more dramatic moments, such as when Bobby discusses his failed life with Craig, telling Craig to open his eyes and see that his problems pale in comparison. Galifianakis’s ability to shift from funny to tragic captures the unstable nature of mental illness in a way that is both realistic and entertaining.

Vignettes and dream sequences in the film provide an added level of quality and show Craig’s progress in a way that is more amusing than just watching someone have a breakthrough when talking to a therapist. Once scene involving Craig participating in a musical rehabilitation session becomes an elaborate fantasy sequence featuring the ensemble cast performing “Under Pressure” in true David Bowie/Freddie Mercury glam fashion. Rather than just explaining that Craig is making progress, filmmakers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck show us the ways he’s coming along, which is far more rewarding for audiences.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story is a good dramedy because it’s both lighthearted and heavy in that indie fashion fueled by solid performances and talented writing/direction. The film deals with heavy subjects, like suicide, losing custody of children, social alienation and depression, in a way that is amusing, accessible and positive as opposed to dwelling on the darkness of those situations. Gilchrist shows audiences Craig’s journey from depression to confidence through subtleties in performance instead of obvious “I’ve learned something today” exposition and Galifiakis gives a fantastic performance that exemplifies the tone of the film.