Are You Here

I rented this movie from RB. With a cast like that, they should label the movie as 'not a comedy'. I probably honestly only made it half way through before I stopped watching, which is unusual for me. What's sad is, with those actors, they could have made a great flick.. I was really hoping for more. I do not understand why actors choose roles in films that do not fit their skills. All 3 of the main characters are comedians. I wanted to laugh, and instead I ended up in an irritated mood. Oh well, Live and learn. Zach is one of my favorite comedians and I hope in the future he doesn't choose every role that comes along. He's much better than that, as well as the others.

If this had an unknown cast and a different director this would have been an award winning film about the difficulty of finding meaning in our lives. It starts a little slowly with the main character (weather man) who is a womaniser and seems to be happy, and who also helps his bipolar friend who is struggling to find meaning in his life. However, ultimately find that it is the weather reporter who is searching for meaning in his life - and he finally breaks down when his bipolar friend begins to develop a life on his own. The film contains quite profound comments (subtle inferences) on what it is to be crazy (and if belief in God is crazy); how relationships can be sexual and caring, but without being about becoming a couple; vegetarianism; living within the modern world or finding meaning in returning to a simpler way of life. So - the film sounds arty and profound. Except it isn't produced in that way. It is directed like a Hollywood movie, indeed a Hollywood comedy. This mismatch between the complexity of some scenes and some of the plot, and the characters/actors and filming style are probably what disappointed many viewers. Personally, I loved it and put it in the same league as 'the way way back' but a bit more bizarre. In summary - a great script and good film, with odd casting and presented as a comedy, which it isn't. Will be disappointing if you want something pure Hollywood, but will be engaging if you like sentimental and deep films that make you think, but are not pretentious (indeed - I wonder if it was done purposely like this in an effort to take out all the pretentiousness and make it seem like a light film).

I wanted to hate this so much. I'm so sick of Godless Hollywood types telling stories about the meaninglessness of life. But then I remembered a few things. First, of course movies are going to reflect the real life values, experience, and conflicts of the people who make them, and they are a certain type. Second, I have to judge a film based on what it is, not on whether I personally like the message or the ethos. Having said all that, here it is: Yes the makers tried to throw in a lot of different philosophical elements, to the point where you weren't sure what the message was. But perhaps that actually is part of the message. Life is messy and complicated. Many of us have toyed with both Liberal and Conservative approaches to life. Anyways, there were a number of good, memorable elements. All three free spirits accuse each other of shallowness and immaturity at some point and grow into better souls. In the early parts, you may get the impression that the film is glorifying hedonism, and amorality. But it isn't. It's doing just the opposite. In that sense, it is actually close to being a conservative movie. The most poignant moment is when one former hippie cleans up, moves into a condo, and realizes that this is all there is. We may do small things to help the world, but for the most part life is a routine, and that is o.k. It's immature to crave some exalted mission all the time and swear allegiance to it, while shirking responsibility. An even greater conservative scene is when our hippie imagines a bar patron telling him what a worthless dreamer and charlatan he actually is. There's a sort of "flower child" character here who helps men reach their potential. But instead of trying to make them better hippies, she tries to make them better, more enlightened and responsible men. That's a nice twist. There is an unspoken, yet underlying current that suggests that the Amish people of the surrounding area live a more authentically pure lifestyle, because they make things from scratch and have few wants or needs. It makes sense that free spirits might admire the Amish, because they usually crave a less materialistic, naturalistic, nature-based life. Meanwhile we see an Amish boy visiting a Psychiatrist. Perhaps to suggest that we all have problems. The cinematography is terrific. There are beautiful green spaces and some * work. For the most part there is not much actual sex or even a lot of profanity. Sure the Zach G. actor guy has done variations of this role before. But this one was his best. Because you really felt his pain. It wasn't meant to be humorous. Wilson played his usual self, but once again did it beautifully. The woman who played the free spirit did so with just the right amount of emotion and detachment. What a sad shame that so many people spend a lifetime being immature, only to wake up middle aged with nothing to show for it. Better late than never. I think that was the ultimate message.

Are You Here_720p(480P)

source: Are You Here

So much of this movie was horrendous. Owen Wilson's character Steve, our protagonist, is an unlikeable peeping-tom whose cliche playboy persona is so tired I almost fell asleep every time he was on screen. His character arc is meant to be about him growing up and learning responsibility. But, these changes are only motivated by the desire to have sex with his best friend's step-mom, Angela. His subsequent tantrum that she sleeps with his friend and not him reminded me of a child screaming "that's MY toy!" on the playground. Steve is certainly no Don Draper. Amy Poehler's character is portrayed as a total stick in the mud, even though her dad's just died and she's going through hormone treatments and her behaviours were pretty understandable. Who wouldn't be mad that their step-mom showed up to their father's funeral in a see-through dress? Who wouldn't be pissed that their dad left their sibling WAY more money and assets in the will? Who in their right mind would want their brother's high as the stratosphere, dead-beat friend interjecting in private discussions about her father's will? Suuuuuch a buzzkill. The real treat of this movie though is Angela, the aforementioned step-mother. She is meant to be seen as this earthy, loving woman who heals the men around her. But she only seems to do this with sex. And baking pies. Maybe Matthew Weiner should stick to directing shows about the 60s cause that time is a lot more in tune with his views on women. Owen Wilson yells at her toward the end of the movie that she has no responsibilities and just gets everything she wants because she's hot. This line is meant to be taken as super mean and uncalled for-but it's true. Maybe I'm a prude, but banging your step-son SHOULD be frowned upon. More than that, the idea that having sex with his stepmom would help Ben's mental-health is absurd. And, the suggestion that once you start to take medication you can instantly get better and change your whole outlook and lifestyle is ridiculous. And, in almost every scene something weird and unrealistic happened that pulled me out of the story. Examples: A prostitute calls and leaves a voicemail to confirm an appointment just like the dentist. Owen Wilson, a 50 year old man gets caught spying on his 20 something neighbour changing and she smiles and waves at him instead of calling the cops on this perv. Ben bites a child's cookie and the mother isn't weirded out. This movie failed to make me care about a single character, failed to make me laugh a single time, failed to adequately use Jenna Fischer, and failed to leave any kind of impact other than disappointment.

I watched this movie because it was recommended to me, with the statement that I would probably "identify with a character played by Zach Galifianakis." In the film, Zach plays a man who suffers from bipolar disorder with schizoid tendencies, coming to grips with his illness and trying to re-integrate himself into society. I think the moment that hit me the hardest was when Zach was prescribed mood stabilizer medication for the first time and it really hit him that, man, I'm going to be on this stuff for the rest of my life. I could totally relate to the crushing feeling that gives a person. So anyway, Zach plays the aforementioned bipolar and Owen Wilson stars as his best friend, a weatherman for the local news. They are both heavy pot smokers and the movie features loving scenes of them hanging out and smoking it together. Anyway, Zach feels disconnected from society and Owen is struggling with his own problems relating to women and settling down into a committed relationship, not to mention having a hard time keeping a handle on his money. They're both flunky losers, basically. Suddenly Zach breaks the news that his Dad has died, and he and Owen attend the funeral and the reading of the will, whereupon Zach is bequeathed a lot of money, a country store, and 100 acres of farmland by his old man. His sister (played by Amy Poehler) is outraged at this, considering him incompetent, and desperately wanting to take control of the property and manage it as she sees best. So, she tries to declare him unfit in court, which goes awry, and Zach takes control of the properties. He promptly goes haywire and tries to create an "Omega Society" to teach people to "live in harmony with the land" and "get rid of all the bull#@^!." All this is cut short, however, when he attacks a man in a bar, imagining him to lob harsh insults in his direction about his competence. In the mean-time, Owen is starting to develop a thing for Zach's dad's widow, a young girl he obviously married for her sexual characteristics, and who spares no insult directed toward Owen for his drunken, pot-smoking lifestyle. At one point Owen offers to "get her on the next flight," and waves a bong at her, to which she responds "No thanks, I try to avoid things that keep me from feeling." Ba-zing! They continue to hit it off however, and there's a lot of sexual tension in the air. However, Zach gets really upset one night and bemoans his very existence, and his dad's widow feels a connection with him and they sleep together. This does wonders for Zach and starts getting him thinking about how he needs to "get his #%@% together," so he shaves his beard (the first time I've seen Zach without one), regularly takes his medication, and bequeaths the country store to his sister for her to do with as she sees fit. She promptly turns it into a SuperStore called "Amish Farms." Zach bequeaths the farmland to Owen, who quickly finds out about Zach and the widow sleeping together, and threatens to kick them off the land. But, things are soon resolved in a heartwarming conclusion. Overall the movie is very uneven and hit-or-miss, with a lack of focus or narrative drive, as it kind of meanders from plot point to plot point. In addition, the emphasis on mental illness lacks a lot of the direct "oomph" of something like say, Silver Linings Playbook, perhaps because it deals less genuinely with the subject. However, because of my empathy with Zach's character, I overall enjoyed the film, and must give it three out of five stars.

Was it really necessary to have the chicken scene????? So you cut off the head of the chicken for laughs????? How many times did you do that take???? There used to be a disclaimer that no animals were harmed in making the film FOR A REASON. NO ONE WANTS TO SEE THAT. Owen Wilson's career has really hit rock bottom. He'll accept any role in anything - won't he??? Everyone involved in this movie should be ashamed.

I enjoyed the flick, I expected funny but ended up with a more subtle and profound feeling. Acting is good and it is worth a watch if you are in the mood for some reflection on the way we live our lives.

I rented this movie from RB. With a cast like that, they should label the movie as 'not a comedy'. I probably honestly only made it half way through before I stopped watching, which is unusual for me. What's sad is, with those actors, they could have made a great flick.. I was really hoping for more. I do not understand why actors choose roles in films that do not fit their skills. All 3 of the main characters are comedians. I wanted to laugh, and instead I ended up in an irritated mood. Oh well, Live and learn. Zach is one of my favorite comedians and I hope in the future he doesn't choose every role that comes along. He's much better than that, as well as the others.