Gray Matters

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source: Gray Matters

I had to walk out on this film fifteen minutes from the end... having passed through the cringe stage and into pure boredom. What really horrifies me, I mean truly disturbs me, is that there are people referring to this aimless drivel as 'delightful' or a 'must see.' I would feel deep pity for those so afflicted were it not for the distinct impression that most of the positive comments about this shallow and humourless travesty were written by industry plants. The truth is this is a lame film that does nothing to entertain nor enlighten. It is decidedly unfunny, poorly scripted and has all the pace and energy of cold, canned rice pudding. To be kind to Ms Kramer, the best one can say is it was a missed opportunity, for having read the synopsis before I watched it, I had expected something more challenging. The possible misinterpretations of a close brother and sister co-dependence, the unexpected awakening of 'sisterly' sexuality, and the comic potential in such sibling rivalry (for the affections of the same girl) were all obvious subjects for refreshing comedic exploration, yet which at every turn the movie frustratingly shies away from. Instead, the audience is subjected to a meandering series of uninspired and insipidly drawn situations, with clichéd characterisations and dull performances from a cast struggling for belief and obviously in need of much tighter direction. The lack of directorial control seems astounding; on the one hand, Moynahan, Cavanagh and Spacek all give very pedestrian performances, while Heather Graham and Molly Shannon - the latter in particular - veer towards embarrassing over-compensation at times. One could lay the blame for this on the director - maybe Sue Kramer hopes that if her actors over-act, they will force a bigger laugh from the audience. But then again, the cast is a veteran one; one would expect them to do better. Sue Kramer really needs to think carefully what kind of movies she wants to make, and for whom. Given the possible issues Gray Matters alludes to, and given her inability or unwillingness to fully explore them in the context of a comedy, perhaps she should consider writing dramas instead. I know it is never easy to make films about women and women's issues, especially when one hopes to reach a wider audience than women alone, but whatever direction she takes, inconsequential and flimsy characters like Gray are not going to cut mustard.

Otherwise it is one of the worst movies I've ever seen - and I mean ever. My wife and I were both bored out of our minds within 10 minutes. Not to mention being boring, it is entirely unbelievable. Women (non-lesbian) don't bathe together - nor do they "accidentally" kiss. Brothers and sisters don't live together well into their 30s and run around swing dancing together and engaging in footraces in central park. Men don't find out their wife and sister romantically kissed the night before the wedding and then never discuss it with said wife. Absolutely ridiculous. Heather Graham is possibly the worst actress in films today. She smiles when she should be crying and vice versa. The only movie she has ever been good in is Boogie Nights - and that is because she wasn't acting. I cannot stress enough how bad this movie was.

First, the good: the cast is well-chosen for the most part. Heather Graham immerses herself as Gray, and you really like and feel for her character. You find yourself rooting for her. Tom Cavanagh is charming and funny as Gray's brother Sam, Bridget Moynahan is good as Charlie, the object of both Sam and Gray's affection, Alan Cumming is adorable (except in drag) as Gray's cabbie friend, Molly Shannon is a riot (but can also be taken as "annoying") as Gray's best friend and co-worker Carrie, but Sissy Spacek is just plain SpaCEY as Sydney, Gray's therapist. I think Heather Graham gets too much flack for playing oversexed (or as some of my friends have said, "white trash-like" roles), but as an actress, I've always thought that Graham was under-rated. Heather's great as a supporting actress, but in "Gray Matters," she proves that she can carry a film. Unfortunately, this was the wrong film for her to carry. This review is hard; overall, I enjoyed the film. I know that some people may find it hard to believe that some gays and lesbians have absolutely no idea they are gay until later in life. I know this may be true for some, though, but I think the film seriously lacks in this department. Can Gray's drunken kiss with Sam REALLY be her first ever inkling that she may be gay? For me, it's just hard to believe. Oh, but then she imagines a girl at a hot dog stand walking in her bra--oh, there's yet ANOTHER inkling! Bingo! She MUST be gay! It's just too hard to believe, and too contrived. Had the film focused more on how exactly Gray came to this realization so late in life would have been great to see. But, the way it is, it's too rushed. I mean, what went off in her head after she kissed Charlie? That's what the script robs us of finding out. I'm not saying that the kiss between Graham and Moynahan wasn't hot--it definitely was--but this film needed more than that. Also, how on earth could Charlie NOT remember kissing Gray, but remember singing on stage with Gloria Gaynor? I'm sorry, even if you're Condellezza Rice, you'd STILL remember kissing Heather Graham, no matter how many drinks you had sucked back! I'd think that for Charlie, kissing a girl for (assumingly) the first time would be remembered instead. The film also falls flat with revealing how exactly Gray came to fall in love with Charlie. I think the film also should have concentrated more on Gray's ultimate relationship with Julia Bartlett (the L Word's British beauty Rachel Shelley). Was it just a one night stand, etc. And, was sleeping with Julia(another thing that was omitted to stay PG-13) the final confirmation Gray needed that she is indeed gay. As I said, I'm on the fence. I loved Gray's quirkiness, and Heather is absolutely beautiful throughout the film, but for me, I felt robbed by many aspects of the film. It could have been SO much more than it was.

Contains best on-screen kiss I've ever seen! Hope this is Kramer's first of many movies - and lip on lip scenes! This movie captures the essence of brother-sister love without turning it into a cheap cliché. Oh, did I just use a cliché? Well, Sue doesn't. She's written enough movies to know better. GM is engaging and keeps us watching and wondering what's going to happen to our favorite characters next. Sissy Spacek as the shrink - perfectly cast. Molly Shannon is finally in the right role - it was made for her. Heather Graham and Bridget are not only fun to watch - they're believable in their parts. The boys (Alan & Tom) are great too - overall a wonderful ensemble cast that delivers more than many expected - except for Sue of course.

It was obvious that this movie is designed to appeal to the Chick Flick audience, to which i have sat through quite a few and enjoyed most. However, this was a very irritating attempt by Heather Graham to become the next Meg Ryan ( who became annoying as hell in her own right ). Her acting was overdone and it appeared that she was overanxious compared to her colleagues who were relaxed in their roles. This film might have been more, as there was suitable budget for settings, actors and a decent story line. My wife and I both agreed that this was 'Muck' at the end, as the film ended on a painful embarrassing high! Better luck next time, hope Miss Graham sticks to the type of films that she belongs in like From Hell.

Unfortunately, the film is the mud as well as the gem. Two perfect beauties, two usually miscast actors in roles that befit them, a rather original script... it all should have gone great. However, the overall directing of the movie is superficial, most of the support actors play badly and the script oscillates between very good and very bad. The idea of the movie was nice, the overall setup, but the ending just blew and the hysterical explosions of badly acted emotion over badly written lines were like giants craters in the road to liking the film. Bottom line: if you are looking for a romantic comedy, this at least has some brain and a definite direction away from stereotypes, even if it doesn't avoid them all. But the quality of it isn't great.

If there has ever been a worse comedy than 'Gray Matters' I am unaware of it. The New York Jewish comedy's 'funny' premise is that siblings Sam & Gray are mistaken for a couple and so decide to fix Sam up with a girlfriend, only to find that Gray is equally attracted to their target - Charlie. The revelation that Gray is secretly gay is apparently only a surprise to her. There is a deeply offensive wedding sequence, a deeply embarrassing 'drunk act' from Moynahan and Graham, and a performance that would embarrass forests everywhere for its woodenness from Tom Cavanagh. Sissy Spacek demonstrates a complete inability to do comedy and will want this excised from her resume. Molly Shannon plays the homely friend with lumpen insouciance. Only Alan Cumming emerges with any credit but is seriously under-employed and given nothing with which to work. The whole disaster is cemented by Graham's bizarre eye-rolling performance culminating with the penultimate scene where she wears a comedy hat and an overcoat despite the scene being set in a lesbian bar. It is astonishing that this film was ever released it has no redeeming feature and should be avoided at all costs.

I just saw "Gray Matters" and found it to be not only funny but also heartwarming. It was refreshing to finally see a romantic comedy that had an original twist. I had no idea where it was going and was caught off guard in a very good way. Heather Graham is funny, Tom Cavanaugh relishes in this role, and can you blame them both for falling in love with the sexy Bridget Moynahan? Sue Kramer really knows how to keep the movie rolling, to make if funny when it's supposed to be funny and also touching in just the right moments. She got such great performances out of her actors. I can't believe this is her first movie that was released. I left the movie with a smile on my face- how many times can you say that?