CYRUS written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass, with John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei and Catherine Keener. 89 minutes. A Fox Searchlight release. Opens Friday (June 25). For venues, trailers and times, see Movies. Rating: NNNN
The Duplass brothers (The Puffy Chair, Baghead) edge toward the mainstream with this studio-produced, big-name tale of a lonely guy (John C. Reilly) who meets the perfect woman (Marisa Tomei), only to run afoul of her clinging, resentful son (Jonah Hill).[rssbreak]
The set-up may be farcical, but the Duplasses want to explore how this moderately weird situation would play out in the real world, and they get performances of considerable complexity from all three leads. Reilly and Tomei have terrific chemistry, and Hill goes deeper than usual as an overindulged, passive-aggressive jerk who’s mistaken self-confidence for maturity and self-awareness.
People who go in expecting the next Apatow comedy will be confused by the lack of big laughs, but if you’re looking for an incisive, unapologetically awkward character piece, the Duplasses deliver.
Read an interview with the directors here.