Gigantic

I can't really say this movie has anything to recommend it as entertainment. There isn't a cohesive plot - there are a lot of scenes that are just "there" but you wonder why? The characters are all very flat - little to no development. I couldn't get interested in any of them, which is unusual. There was no comedy and no romance in this movie for me. There isn't really any compelling action, and most of the camera work is ordinary - nothing interesting there to hold your attention. Sometimes a movie like this is saved by brilliant dialogue and scriptwriting - not this one, the script is average and the delivery flat. No one seems to care very much. There are a couple of scenes with violence, which to our family were disturbingly gratuitous - the violence just happened without any reason, or explanation afterwards. The consequences of the violence seemed way too small considering what was depicted as happening, which was also disturbing.

I'm Paul Dano. Despite what you believe from Little Miss Sunshine, I can speak. Words are still pretty useless since I'm so EMO. I want a Chinese baby, preferably girl. I met my dream girl and we immediately did it without pretense. Her dad is friends with The Dude and he has back problems that is a metaphor for Wall Street or greed or something. I do mushrooms with my dad, and The Snuggler tries to kill me on occasion. There's a black guy. Oh yeah my movie starts with a non-veiled metaphor involving drowning rats that is supposed to set up what the movie's about. And we threw in a title that doesn't make sense. Eat it up, you retarded geniuses! Stuffs r all blue and cinematography and god and the bible (I gave up watching after an hour.)

I'm surprised at the so many negative reviews that Matt Aselton's 'Gigantic' received, as I found it to be quite a charming, funny, absorbing and well-made little film. I suppose not everyone appreciates subtle storytelling and that much of 'Gigantic' is open to interpretation (for example the homeless man, whom I interpreted as Brian's alter-ego). The quirky premise may appear a little awkward on the surface. I can see why some people interpret it as 'a cry for attention' but the film does not dwell on that. It's very story oriented and focuses on issues such as family relationships and growing up. The characters are quirky but easy to identify with. The sharp dialogues are wonderful and funny. 'Gigantic' is a well made film. The soundtrack and cinematography are a good fit. Soundtrack itself is worth a buy. The art direction is toned down. Aselton tones down the colour to give it a cold look as the warmth is expressed in the interactions of the characters. The lighting is used efficiently. The cast has done a commendable job. Even though many have disliked Paul Dano's performance (most of them commenting that he wasn't quirky enough), I felt quite the contrary. He downplays the part very well. Zooey Deschanel is nothing short of excellent. Even though she has played similar characters before, her approach to playing Happy is very different. John Goodman, Ed Asner and Jane Alexander and Zack Galifianakis are great. Aselton's debut is a fun and absorbing watch and it lingers in mind long after the end credits have rolled....though perhaps it's not for everyone given the negativity, but so what. For me it was worth the chance.

Caught a screening of this film and really enjoyed it. It has a very interesting and inventive plot as well as incredibly smart and witty writing. Paul Dano and Zooey Deschanel's chemistry is undeniable. A movie like this is so refreshing to see, especially in this era of remakes and repeats. I highly recommend this movie and hope to see more success from Matt Aselton. I hope you like it as much as I did! Thanks! Lindsey

Gigantic has a few funny moments and good performances by John Goodman, Ed Asner and Zooey Deschanel is attractive and has the requisite quirkiness, but I also found the main character Brian to be incredibly dull and the weak link in this film. I'm also never impressed by the use of the "f-word" or for that matter the use of the "n-word" (even when it's said by a black person) when it feels that it's only being used for a cheap shock laugh. There are also too many questions left unanswered in this film. What was the stalker all about? What does the title of the film mean? But, most of all, the main character, Brian, wanted to adopt a Chinese baby since he was eight? Why? Perhaps, we may assume there was some male maternal instinct at work here. But why Chinese???

The fashionable movies these days rely on finding an edge in convention and dangling a foot in the unknown waters on the other side. Wes Anderson and Jason Reitman and Judd Apatow are practitioners of this dynamic. The strategy is plain, with the skill coming from the balancing act. So far, those three have done nothing but take a stable genre and story form and walk it to its edge. There is amusement along the way. I like these. But they don't go deep. They are afraid to hurt. We've had a few years of this now and already the technique has become the default in the least valuable of films: romantic comedies. What we need is someone who knows how to find that edge and go to it. Someone who doesn't just dip a toe, but who jumps back and forth fearlessly carrying back insight. We need more Igby from the other side, but brought back. This young filmmaker is just what I hoped for. The filmmaking is assured. The arcs are broken as intended. It suitably confuses the newspaper critics. It hurts in places. I won't fall into the trap of summarizing what is shown, because what matters is what is not shown. Its the empty spaces in the narrative. Why is someone familiar beating up our hero? Who is this endearing, broken soul that Zooey plays? What role does that gay guy play, the guy we meet at the beginning and never see again? What are those lines that seduce, are never said, but are remarked on as if they need not be? There is a fold here: the sister runs a TeeVee shopping show; Zooey's character helps in an unknown way. In keeping with the gaps, we never know where the fold goes. There is a device from a standard romantic comedy: having a child. It happens but we have no idea how to register it against out romcom templates. Some may think these are signs of a broken movie or an immature writer-director. They seem to me to be effective, deliberately engineered gaps that define an unknown, moving edge we are taken to and baptized in the open ignorance we bring. Zooey really does understand what is going on. She's the perfect actor for this experiment. Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

'Gigantic' is the debut film from writer/director,Mark Aselton (a name to look out for in the future). It concerns a mattress salesman (played by Paul Dano,from 'There Will Be Blood','Little Miss Sunshine',and others)who receives an odd customer (John Goodman),who's daughter (Zooey Deschanel)falls asleep on one of the beds in the show room. An odd relationship develops between the two. There are some other elements that makes this for a flawed,but funny (and fun)evening at the cinema (a psychotic homeless man stalks our protagonist,an adoption of an Asian baby looms in the background,as well as a hunt for wild mushrooms on (ironically) sacred mushrooms for good measure ,too). Other familiar faces turn up in this film as well,for good turn (Ed Asner,Jane Alexander,etc.). A film that is worth seeking out. Rated 'R'by the MPAA,this film contains salty language,sexual situations,drug usage & some violence. Leave the little ones home.

Refreshing for a first time director, Matt Aselton has managed to bring a new dimension to the acting repertoire of his leads, Zooey Deschanel, Paul Dano, and veteran, John Goodman. Deschanel in particular shines brightly in Gigantic, as a privileged, underachieving heiress who is facing up to becoming a woman – evidenced in the empathy her character, 'Happy', somehow manages to elicit. Gigantic certainly plays against gender expectations, as Deschanel's love interest, Dano, looks to fix a situation in order to mend himself, indeed, this is a chick flick that should also appeal to guys; funny, rude, touching, violent, gentle, brutal, kindly, inconsiderate. Once you overcome the gimmick of the unique premise – mattress salesman who wants to adopt a Chinese baby – this really becomes an enjoyable watch, peppered with cool, sharp dialog and seasoned with warm, elevated charm. It is a movie in which the viewer is invited to contemplate how inner turmoil can be overcome if one doesn't give up on what one wants. Shot in 35mm, it is also a beautiful thing to behold, and with a soundtrack (scored by Roddy Bottum) that includes Animal Collective, there is much about Gigantic which stays with the viewer long after its conclusion – not least the movie's Fight Club character: as Zach Galifianakis portrays a brutal representation of disconnection.

Greetings again from the darkness. I thrive on indie films and am always anxious when a first time director manages to break through the politics and red tape and gain distribution for his/her pet project. The debut from Matt Aselton is far from perfect, but certainly provides high expectations for his next film. Blessed with a terrific cast including Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, There Will Be Blood), indie favorite Zooey Deschanel, John Goodman, and veterans Ed Asner and Jane Alexander; Aselton creates some odd characters that somehow connect not only to each other, but also to the viewing audience. The film does sometimes suffer from the mistake of many first time filmmakers ... inclusion of scenes that have always been in the mind of the writer/director, but just don't quite fit in the context of the film. The brutal attacks/images by the homeless guy (played by comedian Zach Galifianakis) and the massage parlor scene are two that jump to mind. On the other hand, and more importantly, there are a few scenes that are remarkable and really provide hope for Aselton's next film: When Zooey first awakens from her nap in the store, she and Dano have an exchange that sets the stage for their relationship; the family dinner without Zooey; John Goodman on his kitchen floor and at the doctor; Jane Alexander on the balcony with Zooey proves what an effective and elegant actress Ms. Alexander remains as she is the first one to connect with Zooey on an adult level. These all result from the creative mind an eye of Mr. Aselton and have set the bar high for his next outing.

Gigantic is an eccentric film about two oddball families. Brian is bored with his job of selling mattresses and is obsessed with adopting a Chinese baby. Despite having loving parents and supportive brothers he cannot relate to them and lives alone frugally in an apartment. Harriet or Happy who walks into Brian's showroom one day and falls asleep on a mattress has a dysfunctional family with a loud mouth hypochondriac father, an estranged disconnected mother and a self-centered older sister. Brian and Harriet are drawn to each other sexually but cannot connect emotionally and the Chinese baby only makes things worse. Alternately comical and melancholic this surreal story is about people managing their angst. The exact reasons for Brian's anxiety are not stated but it is possibly because he was brought accidentally into this world by his parents. There is a bizarre subplot in which a homeless man stalks Brian and keeps attacking him without any purpose. The discerning few can easily see this as a subtext for the demons of self-doubt tormenting Brian's mind. For others it could be an annoying red herring. It is a film that will make you feel good if you have cracked the subplot.