Genres

Visitors Review

Robert Broerse 2012-05-24 22:54:00

Pleasant, Fun and Worth the Watch

This is a great Saturday night film. It borders somewhere betweencomedy and dramedy in that the topic veers often towards theall-too-serious before falling back into the comical.Aaron Eckhart plays 'Bill'. Bill married the bank executive's daughter.Bill has it all but doesn't have much respect from his wife's family.His in-laws basically think of him as a peon. When Bill's wife cheatson him, things get a little rough. I have to give the writer anddirector kudos for not driving the film into the conventional 'anothershot at life' take here i.e. character falls to the bottom, buildshimself up by cutting off all ties.He does build himself back up, but the pacing is subtle, real, human.Life is life, right, and Bill manages to pull himself together withoutmaking big dramatic scenes (a la Jerry Maguire) or bringing us sometouching, knee-jerk morals and last minute epiphanies. He stumbles,breaks down and when you figure he'll win the girl in the end, he justwins himself.The 'Kid' here is fun, Bill learns a lot from him but again, no morals,no 'kid knows best' B.S. here. The film dodges a few of the mainclichés we see in most movies.I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It isn't meant to be serious and itcould have been. The writing is fun, the directing is fun, thecharacters are fun. What's wrong with fun?

elizabethnagroves 2012-05-24 17:23:47

Pointless and bland

I thought this movie was utterly terrible. It was completely unoriginaland there were so many superfluous characters and scenes that is wasjust ridiculous. What as the Jessica Alba character supposed to be?What was she supposed to add? The Kid character was pretty pointlessalso. There was an endless series of scenes that, I assume, weresupposed to be funny, but added nothing to the narrative. There is thiswhole subplot where we are supposed to imagine that the Kid and Albamight have some romantic chemistry, but it is just ludicrous. Also, oneof the major plot points is Bill trying to win back his wife. However,we never get a sense of why he would want to do this. After all, she isuniformly terrible to him throughout the movie, and he doesn't seemthat into her, until it's convenient for the plot. If they had takenout some of the more pointless scenes (especially the one with the Kiddancing around in women's underwear--what was that about?), and spentmore time exploring the relationship between the two leads, then itmight have made more sense. Aaron Eckhart is a very talented actor, anddid the best with the story he had. However, there was no saving thistrain wreck. I would say that it would benefit from better editing, butin all honesty, it would have to be edited to the point ofnon-existence to be improved. Largely, this movie seemed like alow-rent, cheap rehash of some of the themes from American Beauty,without any of the depth, humour, or intelligence. They had therepressed husband attempting to break free, the bitchy adulterous wife,and drug dealing rebellious teenage boy. What a waste of time, and inEckhart's case, talent.

mhendersonny 2012-05-21 18:54:40

Light hearted indie-film

If you like Aaron Eckhart then you'll like this film. It's a departurefrom anything he's done in the past. Elizabeth Banks plays his wife, abeautiful, self obsessed, spoiled, rich bitch with no redeemingqualities except her looks and body. (It's VERY much the same role asshe played in "The Baxter". She's really got this character type downand is carving a niche for herself in indie films.)As I watched this movie, I thought that it reminded me of those indiefilms that I loved from the late 90's and early 2000's and how theyjust don't make them like this anymore. I didn't laugh all the waythrough this movie, but there were places where I chuckled(considerably) and I did have a smirk on my face for a good bit of themovie. (Think "The Ex" but not as funny.)It a great Friday night, too tired to think, order a pizza and vegmovie. And if you like indie films from a decade ago, then you'll beglad you rented this one.

MichaelBritneyV-DubFan 2012-05-21 06:00:57

Very Good for someone who NEEDS change!!!!!

So I bought the movie a couple of days ago and I haven't had the chanceto watch it until today. So I went into this with an open opinion eventhough I had only bought it to see Elizabeth Banks and Aaron Eckhart.This really turned out to be a life changing movie for me because I amalso at a cross road in my life right now. So for everyone who wants tosee a good movie or anyone who needs a break for change watch this andsee how you feel after wards! OK so IMDb says I need to write more welllook the movie is better than any movie I have seen lately that isstraight to DVD. What more can I say about it but the performances withthe three main actors were great except for this one scene with oneactress. Its just an excellent movie so rent it today!

2012-05-20 18:24:34

Funny movie

Its a funny movie, saw it first on HBO so I bought the dvd for $5 bucks. Good story very original would recommend. If you like "Thank you for smoking" another great movie by Aaron, this is the movie for you. I dunno about those other guys who voted 1 or 2 stars, maybe dumb and dumber would be a better comedy suited for them.

fliphop 2012-05-20 12:17:26

emotionally dishonest

sorry, this movie was written by disturbed people.if someone tries to say 'what would these look like on you' to a ladyat victoria's secret, he does not turn out to be some funny great kid.so don't try that line, please kids. for the love of god.eckharts character makes all sorts of pointless, meaningless meanderingphilosophical points. thats fine but uhm. it's a mess. the guy is amess, his life is a mess, his relationships are a mess, and this movie,as a result, is a mess.however it is not a nice mess. it is the kind of mess where the dudewho has rotting pizza in his refrigerator tries to make a joke aboutit. its not.. funny. funny is reality. this movie does not have a graspon reality.the last scene would in a different movie be some iconic moment likethe end of the graduate. but instead.... you are thinking 'whatthe...', just like the kid character says.there is also just a lot of 'weird stuff'. the whole thing where this30 something guy hangs out with an 17 year old and his girlfriend and'her friend' in a tent to cheat on his wife... potentially funny,potentially deep, potentially emotional. in this movie? its just a'laugh' they had.everything in this movie is a laugh. nothing takes itself seriously.but not in a fun way, in a sort of "uhmm.... OK... " way. the kid andthe guy are basically two spoiled rotten brats. the relationship withthe wife, .... is really strange,.... because they cheat on each otherand ... its like... there is no emotional consequence.... i mean yeahthe guy gets angry and goes and beats up the other guy. but when he isback with her.... ???? where is the core here?instead we go off into some disturbing tangent where a mid-teenage kidis trying to get involved in the problems of an adult marriage that isbreaking apart... this is just completely... weird... andinappropriate.... and while it had some funny moments, they don't seemto be related to the reality of the situation... which is that thissituation is breaking all kinds of boundaries.. boundaries that existfor a reason.. a comedy might have talked about that... instead it justkind of laughs everything of and moves on to the next freakish act bythese characters.the end of the movie? eckhart wandering off into the sunset.... wowmust be nice to have money to do that... and is his wife coming withhim? or not? now, this movie is not all bad. the rant in the donut shopwas almost classic in proportion. some of the ideas are funny. some ofthe lines are good. the actors are extremely good at making this veryodd script into something watchable and even halfway believable.eckhart is great. even these really weird, weird weird shaving shots...i don't know,like i said, i think this director has something going onwith his brain to spend 30 seconds out of the movie focused on eckhartshaving his body hair, its just kind of like 'huh?' but not believableenough for me. there is just no honesty present, about what wouldreally happen if these folks behaved like this. i mean, comedy to me isrooted in honesty, not in fantasy.. this is more of a fantasy movie asfar as i can tell.

Sirus_the_Virus 2012-05-16 19:05:23

This is a funny film.

Aaron Eckhart does a great job as Bill, a man who hates his life inBill. Or Meet Bill. I am still not sure what it's called. The case toit says Meet Bill and IMDb says Bill so I don't know. One thing I doknow is that this a seriously funny film. I had never heard of it. It'sa shame cause I am sure that a lot of people haven't. The film has agreat cast. Eckhart does an interesting portrayal as Bill, am man with a miserablelife. His life really is miserable. His wife(played by ElizabethBanks)is having an affair with Chip(played by Timothy Olyphant), thetown anchorman. He works for his wife's father. In a really boring job.His life changes after he finds out about his wife's affair. He getsinto tons of embarrassing periods. Such as when he attacks his wife'slover. Or when he records her having sex with him. But his life reallychanges when Bill has to mentor a high school kid(played by LoganLerman). Once this happens, he starts to have more fun and he makessome new friends. Like an underwear saleswoman(played by Jessica Alba).Bill is a very funny film. Eckhart does very well here, and there isn'ta boring moment throughout the entire film. There are some big laughshere. Is this a masterpiece? Not quite. But it is a funny film. Bill:****/*****

Shaggy 2012-05-16 08:19:15

Disappointing

I knew going in the reviews weren't so great for this movie. Yet, the story looked good and the actors are respectable in my mind. Within the first 30 seconds, you can see a microphone. Uh-oh. It never gets the audience interested enough and when it wants you to care, you can't. You don't need a long review because the movie is pointless. It's a waste of everyone's talent, especially Aaron Eckhart's. If you really need to see it, wait for it on DVD.

TxMike 2012-05-15 23:00:36

Quirky, funny role for Aaron Eckhart as 'Bill.'

Aaron Eckhart as Bill is in one of the worst situations a married mancan be in. He works for his father in law who owns a bank. He works ina job that could easily be eliminated. And worst of all, he hates hisjob and he hates being dependent on dad in law.Cute and perky Elizabeth Banks is his wife, Jess, and they appear tohave a happy marriage, but soon Bill begins to suspect that Jess ismore than just friends with the local "on location" TV reporter.Young Logan Lerman (15) is The Kid, that's all we ever establish abouthim. Although a few scenes indicate that he always has plenty of money,and he might be selling MJ to the other kids on the side. Bill and TheKid come together in a chance meeting in the boys restroom of theschool, and become paired in a mentor program that Bill's dad in lawinsists they participate in.The Kid seems wise beyond his years and when he sees what Bill is goingthrough suggests that he needs a girlfriend to make Jess jealous as away to repair their relationship. Along comes Jessica Alba as Lucy whoworks in a department store. The Kid convinces Lucy to help out and shedoes.Timothy Olyphant is good as Chip, the local "on location" TV man thatseems to be chasing Jess, or vice versa.Cute movie, not much substance but very funny in a number of ways.Aaron Eckhart makes it go, a good role for him.

RitchCS 2012-05-15 13:57:44

Ten more minutes...;please...

---SPOILER ALERT---This critique discusses the end of the movie.I shouldn't be writing about this movie as I do NOT like comedies. I'dnever heard of "Meet Bill" until I was desperately trying to find somemovies to put in my Netflix queue for the week. I saw this new filmlisted, starring Aaron Eckhart, who, IMO, KNOWS how to pick goodscripts and is a favorite actor whom I enjoy and admire. When the DVDarrived in the mail today, I was not in the mood for a comedy, but Islid it in my DVD tray anyway, I watched about the first five minutesstanding up to make an exit into the kitchen...but instead, I sat downand started enjoying, as well as laughing out loud, at this wonderfullittle independent comedy. I hadn't read a synopsis, so I reallycouldn't outguess the screenwriter where the plot was headed. Then Igot the clue where we were about to go and how the movie would probablyend...but NO! The movie just ended without giving any of us a clue whatwas going to happen. Ten more minutes...even FIVE...a paragraph, ONELINE...SOMETHING...I mean it IS a comedy for crying out loud...where'sthe comic ending? I'll bet there's a couple of dozen yards of film onthe cutting room floor which would have pleased me and everyone elseand who knows, it might have been a hit. It's really a good film thatleads the audience to a cliff and there's no more road. Even analternate ending on the DVD would have been fantastic! Now I have towonder if this is the real reason why I hate comedies? The kid playing'The Kid", Logan Lerman is gonna be a huge star. He and Aaron made agreat team. He has NO inhibitions for his age and all but walks awaywith the movie from more experienced actors. The ending written for"The Kid" sucked as well. If I MISSED At this point, I don't know if heand Elizabeth stayed together...what was he going to do about a job?Anyone have any ideas?

flapdoodle64 2012-05-15 02:24:57

Beat Mill

This movie starts out as a saccharine rip-off of 'American Beauty,'takes a detour through 'Rushmore,' and ends up nowhere. The director orscriptwriter figured out how to convince a producer to finance this, tomake a couple passable scenes, and enough images to make a decenttrailer. But otherwise, there is nothing like a coherent script: it isas though an autistic savant watched a random assortment of movie clipsand based his script on those loose associations.I lack the words to convey my outrage over how bad this film is. Itmade me wish that the whole awful cast of characters had been blown topieces like The Wild Bunch (whereas at the end of 'The Wild Bunch,' Ifelt melancholy to see those characters depart).Also: there is a really creepy theme involving The Kid, who is supposedto be an under-18 high school kid. Aaron Eckhart's character and TheKid watch together through a window while Elizabeth Banks underdresses,Eckhart also gets high on doobie with The Kid. This is just plaincreepy. If I knew a grown man was doing those kinds of things with aminor, I would call the cops. Yet this perverted subtext is neveraddressed or resolved; instead, it is treated as mere comic fodder.Don't waste another moment on this movie. 'Plan 9 From Outer Space' hasa better script, better acting, and better direction. It also makesmore sense.

2012-05-14 13:09:49

Crass instead of Class

IMDB says: 140 Uses of F***. Really? We didn't even watch the film. Hollywood keeps putting out trashy films and these get exported worldwide. It is no wonder so many people are disgusted with our country.

siderite 2012-05-09 14:56:35

American Beauty Light

Aaron Eckhart made this movie, as one of the previous comments said.Other than that, it was all a bit too awkward a movie to call wellmade. The story is pretty much about a middle aged guy discovering thathis career choices make him miserable and how he find his way outwithout the violence and social satire in American Beauty.It is a decent comedy, not too bad as some suggested, but certainly notmemorable. Jessica Alba plays a medium sized role and Elizabeth Bankslooks totally hot.Bottom line: see it when you feel like watching a light movie, it willbe more fun for people approaching middle age than for teens and it canbe a great movie to watch with the wife.

Taman 2012-05-08 23:31:56

I enjoyed Meeting Bill-Alba, Eckhart good combo

It was a fun witty movie. I loved the characters. I have been a fan of Aaron Eckhart since "Thank You For Smoking." Although his performance their was better in this movie, he still gave a solid performance. The relationship between Jessica Alba's character, Lucy, and the trouble Teen, is quite comical. She was also very good in the movie. A classic story of the loser rising above every one else.

2012-05-07 11:33:54

Movie in Excellent Shape

This review is from: Meet Bill (DVD) Movie arrived promptly, before the scheduled delivery date, and had no scratches or blemishes. Will buy more movies from this dealer.

larry-411 2012-05-07 05:41:46

The classic comedy is back

I attended the World Premiere of "Bill" at the Toronto InternationalFilm Festival. That fact alone is actually surprising to me, as myviewing habits tend to lean towards dramas, and this is anything but.In fact, festivals this year have been weighed down by heavy films thatare about as dark as they come. "Bill" could not be more different, andwhat a refreshing change and much-needed uplift is this all-out,unabashed comedy. Co-directed by the husband-wife team of BernieGoldmann and Melissa Wallack (who penned the script), "Bill" has allthe elements required of the genre: characters to whom we can relate, aclever storyline, and laughs aplenty.Aaron Eckhart ("Any Given Sunday," "Erin Brockovich," "Thank You forSmoking") is Bill, smack dab in the middle of a life becoming all-toofamiliar. His job is falling apart (he begrudgingly works for hisirascible father-in-law), his marriage is going to pieces, his body isgoing to pot, and, perhaps most horrifying, his hair is rejecting hishead. Bill needs a change, fast, and is not-so-voluntarily signed upfor a mentoring program at the local high school. He is teamed up withyoung Logan Lerman ("The Butterfly Effect," "Hoot," "3:10 to Yuma"),who plays The Kid, literally (Lerman's character is never identified byname), and the two join together in battle to fight the demons at theheart of Bill's midlife crisis.A magnificent ensemble cast including Elizabeth Banks, TimothyOlyphant, Jessica Alba, and Kristen Wiig (and far too many more tomention) are all up to the task of providing enough comedic fodder tofill several films. Discussing their characters in depth would be toorevealing, and my policy is to allow the reader to find a synopsiselsewhere if desired. Ultimately the partnership between Bill and TheKid is what drives the story, and the chemistry between Eckhart andLerman is central to the success of the film. And it works. The Kid issmart, streetwise, sexy (or so he thinks), and has the self-confidenceof someone thrice his age. In short, he's everything Bill aspires tobe. It's a role-reversal device that's at the heart of many classiccomedies, and Wallack's brilliant writing makes it work.Despite being an independent film (read: low budget) "Bill" has thelook of a Hollywood movie. The design is bright and the sound andediting give it a crisp, bouncy feel. Best of all, the cinematographywith Peter Lyons Collister at the helm is second to none. He's one ofthe best in the business, a classic comedy veteran, and it shows.It's always hard to single anyone out in a fine ensemble cast but inboth screenings I attended Lerman stole the show. He unquestionably gotthe biggest laughs and was the crowd favorite. I hesitate to call him anewcomer, as at the tender age of 15 he already has 10 movies and 23television episodes under his belt, but he's one to watch for and has abright career ahead of him. But this is Eckhart's film to make orbreak, and his sense of comedic timing and puppy-like ability to elicitjust the right amount of empathy from the audience create thosetouching moments that leave the viewer wanting more. And so I attendedthe second screening as well, and enjoyed it even more. And that's thetrue test of a comedy. From this writer's perspective, "Bill" not onlyhits its mark but is also sure to be a winner for years to come.

joemamaohio 2012-05-04 17:36:55

My Review

Bill (Aaron Eckhart) is going through a mid-life crisis. He'scompletely addicted to sugar (Snickers, donuts, etc.), his marriagewith his wife (Elisabeth Banks) is falling apart at the seams (itdoesn't help she's having an open affair with a television reporter),he's in a dead-end job working for his father-in-law in a job that hehates, and he's a complete pushover.All this changes when he agrees to be a mentor to a young high schoolstudent (Logan Lerman) - a confident, rebellious kid - and things startto look up. With the student's help, Bill begins to change his outer -and inner - appearance, and with the help of lingerie saleswoman(Jessica Alba), he tries to find the joy in life."Meet Bill" isn't a horrible film, but it seems to be lacking oneimportant aspect - something I can't quite put my finger on. The actorsare great, the story is gripping, but still...there's just that onelittle thing that prevents it from being totally great.Of course, Jessica Alba is in it, and I would still pay $30.00 to watchher read the phone book.

Stella Achum 2012-05-04 12:01:17

A film about a journey

This film is about a pathetic man having the balls to change his lifeand the kid who helped him. It shows a definite learning curveespecially for the lead male, Aaron Eckhart.Lighthearted and enjoyable, It follows the man, Bill on his journey inimproving his life. The flow of the film is excellent and theincongruity of choosing Jessica Alba as the teenage boy's love interestall come together to evoke various emotions as you watch the movie. The ending is unexpected and the antics of all the characters in thismovie are really good. It is a light plot so there is only so much theactors could have done with it.Although not the greatest movie in the world, it is definitely worthwatching

shacharweis 2012-05-03 21:58:54

Horrible awkward and unfunny

This is a bad movie. why ?1. Plot makes no sense. (where are the kid's parents? Why did Billshave himself?)2. Horribly horribly uncomfortable to watch. (Bill and the kidentertain two babes in a tent. And we are led to believe that there issex involved, and the next morning the kid is there in his underwear.So, they had an orgy ? A 40 year old, 15 year old kid and two babes ?Yuk.)3. The dialogue is cringe inducing (Kid: You suck. Bill: You suck.Lucy: You both suck. Me: Facepalm)Skip this one.

2012-05-03 12:57:05

Bill is a dull dude.

This movie is clearly missing a beat. It tries to move slow and real and then degenerates into high school level humor too often. (Funny how all the high school kids in the movie celebrate the weak points...) It's not a particularly good movie. It tries hard to have that Euro simple minimalist feel to it but American directors that try to do this are basically always missing a beat. It's a high school play at best. The fireworks gimmick is pretty inane. Yes, it moves along like an extended Saturday Night Live skit. The attempts at profound observations are well, silly and predictable. Okay, let's call it like it is: Another American waste of a movie. It says much about the movie that the best performance is by Jessica Alba. Don't pay to watch this movie. Jim HarrisAuthorA Bottle of RainNowhere Near the Sea of Cortez"We are all illegal immigrants once in awhile." Bob Slick, Texas Border Guard