Director/screenwriter John Krasinski assembled an impressive amount of male talent to fill out Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. Unfortunately, their impressive performances are largely wasted in this film. Brief Interviews with Hideous Men is not really funny enough to be a good comedy, and its attempts at serious reflection are pretentious and pat rather than insightful. This is a shame, because this film has some interesting ideas and real potential.

Krasinski’s screenplay is based on award winning author David Foster Wallace‘s book, which some consider quite provocative. The book was adapted to a play, and now a film.  The film has added the underwritten character of Sara Quinn (Julianne Nicholson) a graduate student using interviews with various men to fuel her research on the effect of the feminist movement on men. The film consists mostly of “interviews” with men (they are identified by subject number) who sit at a table and talk to the camera. She also adds to her research by using observations of her encounters with male students, conversations overheard by her in public places and discussions with her not very interesting friends. What little plot there is features Sara talking to her professor (Timothy Hutton) and arguing with boyfriend Ryan (John Krasinski). 

For the most part, the men are tired clichés. While two waiters (Max Minghella and Lou Taylor Pucci) attempt a philosophical conversation about what women want, many of the subjects discuss problems with sex and how to get sex and avoid commitment. The first and not best interview shows one subject (Ben Shenkman) discussing problems caused in his relationships when he yells “Victory for the forces of democratic freedom” during sexual climax.  Subject Tad (Joey Slotnick) talks about sexual fantasies involving zithers, harps and the television show Bewitched.  This section of “funny” interviews keeps going downhill, with only two exceptions. Bobby Cannavale gives a strong and funny performance as Subject #40, a tough guy with a deformed arm.  Cannavale appears both vulnerable and callous as he describes with almost scientific precision how he uses the bad arm to seduce women. His plan involves self disclosure and crying, and his description ends with Cannavale loudly proclaiming that he gets more [slang for female anatomical part]”than a toilet seat.” Christopher Meloni, as R / Subject #3, is deadpan and hilarious as he regales A / Subject #3 (Denis O’Hare) with the details of an airport sexual encounter with a woman distressed over a breakup.   He earnestly describes the drama in the situation as “storm and drag.”

The film tries to juxtapose some of these “comic” scenes with more serious ones. The two best interviews attempt some serious reflection, but still come up short. Michael Cerveris (Subject #15) is dark and compelling as he recounts how his troubled childhood damaged his adult relationships. Perhaps the best scene in the film belongs to Frankie Faison, who as Subject #42, eloquently describes his father’s (Malcolm Goodwin) job as a men’s room attendant. Faison brings dignity and emotion to the scene, and the use of the past and present together add to the scene’s power. However, the scene seems to belong to another film, not this one. Julianne Nicholson alternates between two speeds, devoid of emotion or outright histrionics, but much of the fault goes to the screenplay. Many of the characters speak overwritten dialogue in unnatural and stilted rhythms. Screenwriter Krasinski saves the worst dialogue for himself, and in his role as Sara’s boyfriend, gets to say lines like, “For a moment, just bracket your contempt” and “I’ll just bite the political bullet and confess that I classified her as a strictly one night objective.” This is too bad, because as an actor, Krasinski is actually believable in this serious role, and brings more substance to his character than he did in Away We Go.  

Perhaps the most hideous plot point in Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, revolves around Sara’s conflict with her student Daniel (Dominic Cooper). Daniel has written a paper discussing the positive effects of rape and degradation, and spews a lot of drivel about his ideas, using Victor Frankel and the holocaust to make his superficial points.  Cooper, so adorable in Mamma Mia, conveys both menace and vulnerability, despite the script, but the film neglects to fully explain his intentions. Sara suggests to Daniel that his ideas are childish and have only shock value; later dialogue suggests she might be missing the point. I think she has it right the first time. This part of the script is shock value masquerading as serious reflection. Yet, apparently, Krasinski eliminated most of the explicit scenes that appeared in the book. Author David Foster Wallace, who committed suicide in 2008, has a passionate fan base.  I am interested in seeing what this film omitted, and if the film could have been improved had it been more faithful to the book.

The film is out of sequence, and at times this adds to the overall effect. First time director Krasinski makes some interesting choices, but ultimately chooses style over substance and clarity. The film has the feel of an early cut that needs more work.

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.  Directed by John Krasinski.  Julianne Nicholson (Sara Quinn), Ben Shenkman (Subject #14), Timothy Hutton  (Professor Adams / Subject #30), John Krasinski  (Ryan / Subject #20), Michael Cerveris (Subject #15), Chris Messina (Subject #19),Max Minghella (Kevin / Subject #28), Lou Taylor Pucci ( Evan / Subject #28), Will Arnett (Subject #11), Joey Slotnick(Tad/ Subject #59),Dominic Cooper (Daniel / Subject #46), Benjamin Gibbard( Harry / Subject #20) , Bobby Cannavale ( Subject #40), Christopher Meloni  (R / Subject #3), Denis O’Hare ( A / Subject #3),Josh Charles (Subject #2), Malcolm Goodwin(Father of Subject #42) and Frankie Faison (Subject #42). IFC Films, 2009.

 

Gail sees a movie appears every Wednesday.

Tweet  Print This Post

Tags: Gail sees a movie, movies // Add Comment »