Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-25 06:03:21

GREAT MOVIE!!

Clever, smart, fantastic. A genuinely funny adult comedy. Not many of them out there. Laughed from beginning to end. Can't say enough good things about this movie.

2012-05-24 11:41:25

Another No Subtitles Bomb

This review is from: The Best and the Brightest (DVD) We gave up trying to hear the poor quality of dialogue from this DVD after 10 minutes. The actors do not speak plainly and the Director tries to make whatever they are saying unintelligible by drowning it out with music, New York traffic sounds, etc. I know...it is my fault...I should have checked for subtitles before ordering. I ALWAYS do that for foreign films, but have sometimes forgotten to or have taken chances on American ones. Yesterday we watched the wonderful new "Jane Eyre" with Mia Wasiskowa and Michael Fassbender, so everything was not a loss.This DVD will go to the landfill with our garbage tomorrow.

Paul Haakonsen 2012-05-18 05:13:18

It was not all that it could have been...

When I saw the cover for this movie I was a bit excited as I saw NeilPatrick Harris was on the cast. So it was with some anticipation that Isat down to watch this movie.And now that I have seen it, I sit with an overwhelming sensation thatjust screams "was this movie really necessary?" The storyline told in"The Best and the Brightest" is fairly easy, almost too simpleactually. A family moves to New York and have to find a kindergartenfor their daughter. Then in order to get into this fancy kindergarten,events start to unfold and roll downhill, escalating into somethingbigger and bigger. The deeper the parents go in, the harder it gets tocome clean.The cast list, does hold some rather good names, and some performanceswere actually alright. However, I was really, really disappointed withNeil Patrick Harris's (playing Jeff) performance in the movie, it wasso tame compared to how he was in previous movies and TV series. PeterSerafinowicz (playing Clark) and Jenna Stern (playing KatharineHeilmann) were the ones carrying the weight of the movie and making itbearable to sit through. And the role and performance of ChristopherMcDonald (playing The Player) was a really good injection of comedy forthe movie. He is just superb.Now, as for a comedy, there were surprisingly few places throughout themovie that had me laughing. Sure there were lots of scenes that couldhave been made to force laughter, but failed to do so. So I wouldn't goout and watch this with the intention to be entertained for the sake oflaughs."The Best and the Brightest" is, sadly, one of those movies that comesby, dies off silently in the night, and is quietly forgotten.

2012-05-17 21:49:52

DVD

Will this dvd come out in the uk for us to watch as it shows region 1 which i think is US & Canada.???

DayDreamer7 2012-05-14 11:36:23

A comedy rich with laughs AND story

If an armed assailant pointed a loaded weapon at my head and demandedthat I describe The Best and the Brightest in only two words, I wouldhave to go with "utterly refreshing."The new comedy is a studio quality production crafted at theindependent level, and perhaps even more delightful is that it offers amuch needed alternative to the stale formulas that have characterizedthe majority of mainstream post-nineties comedy films. It's not thatthe film won't appeal to mainstream audiences, but that it representsthe kind of mature yet lighthearted fun that they don't get theopportunity to enjoy much these days. The story centers on a young couple, Jeff and Sam (played by NeilPatrick Harris and Bonnie Somerville) who, after inheriting some moneycourtesy of a dead aunt, relocate their family to upstate New York.It's when the two middle-class parents take on the task of gettingtheir daughter into an elite private kindergarten that things getdeliciously wacky. For Sam, breaking through the stonewall of fakesmiles and gag-inducing pretentiousness becomes symbolic of her lastshot to have her family move up in the world, and the ridiculous liesshe must sustain to blend in with the yuppies propel the comedyforward.Here's the thing: while The Best and the Brightest may not be theperfect film, it's got the perfect measures of all the great comedyingredients. It's not a one note joke -- it seems that, too often,comedies take one simple idea (drinking, doing drugs, don't have sexwith your friends) and stretch it out for two to two and a halfinsufferable hours. This film actually has a story, and kudos to firsttime feature film director (and co-writer) Josh Shelov for craftingcomedic scenarios which flow naturally from the drama of the storyrather than just having the characters sit around talking about howfunny they are. The jokes don't need explaining -- probably becausethey're funny to begin with.The acting from everyone involved is solid and appropriate for thistype of film (there's no third act lull where everyone cries for twentyminutes on the off chance they might snag an Oscar nod). Neil PatrickHarris is essentially the straight man here, but without aloofness orcondescension, rather with willingness to support his wife even whilereacting to the madness of situations that require him to read hisfriend's filthy, borderline dehumanizing online sex chats at a schoolboard meeting and pass it off as part of his newest poetry anthology.Bonnie Somerville does the impossible, makes us care about the formerhigh school cheer-leading captain, who is still very much in theprocess of falling more deeply in love with her nerdy husband. Watchingher suddenly break from her sweet, mom-like demeanor to drop f-bombs onanyone who threatens her family's security was a source of muchamusement. And her interactions with the fast-talking school systemconsultant Sue Lemon (played with goofy zeal by Amy Sedaris) make forsome very quotable lines.The supporting cast does well also. Standouts include PeterSerafinowicz as spoiled man- child Clark who gets drawn into Jeff andSam's schemes, and the sexually repressed villain played by JennaStern, who gets drawn into Clark's shameless sexual escapades. There'salso a subplot involving Jeff's ex flame, a mentally unstable actressplayed by Bridget Regan, who may or may not be trying to win him backby showing off her lovely...feminine assets. Regan's fans will mostlikely be impressed with her versatility here. She sheds her dignifiedSeeker persona for an interesting turn as Robin, giving her supportingrole depth by not playing Robin as straight up out-of-her-friggin-mindbut as someone who just doesn't seem quite right from the neck up. Onthe outside, Regan looks amazing as usual, and at a pivotal moment whenJeff becomes mesmerized by her beauty while hanging out in a seedyswingers club (you know, the usual), we the audience are right therewith him.The Best and the Brightest succeeds on many levels, not the least ofwhich is that it's not just a senseless stream of nut-shots or poopjokes -- the vulgarity here proves that there is, in fact, an art tovulgarity, and it works. There are times when the jokes slow down abit, which are noticeable when compared to the majority of thefast-talking, laugh-out-loud scenes in the film, but even when thepacing winds down here and there, there's the engaging story andlikable characters to keep us eager for the next big moment (a vitalfactor missing in most film comedies of late). I often found myselfpostponing laughs because I was so wrapped up in whether the heroeswould be foiled in their outrageous quest.From a technical standpoint, the movie looks clean and polished, withgood sound mixing so the audience doesn't miss any of the oftenhilarious banter. The perfectly punctuated finale had me cracking upfor a good ninety seconds. And anyone who's ever edited video knows howlong a time ninety seconds really is. Catch one of the upcomingscreenings of the film, or get it on DVD, then put the kids to bed (oryour drunken roommates) and enjoy some real intelligent, adult comedywith no sickening side effects.

mfb-2 2012-05-13 21:18:53

Disappointing

The premise of this film had great promise, but it failed to be veryamusing. Very little laughter in the audience (some folks walked out),undoubtedly due to the weak script and rather slow story line. Theending was predictable and old school. Evidently this was MichaelJaeger's first attempt at writing, but there was little that was cleveror inventive. Some non sequiturs, such as when Clark texts Jeff whileJeff is standing at the podium: first we see Clark in the bar, and nexthe's riding comfortably in the back of a taxi or limo...all while Jeffreads his text aloud! I adore Amy Sedaris, but her acting seemed forced, while Neil PatrickHarris was little more than one-dimensional.All in all, a very disappointing movie.

2012-05-10 04:27:12

Refreshingly Hilarious!

I saw this movie in LA during one of it's preview runs. I'm probably neither the average movie goer nor a film buff but when I see 85% of movies, I'm saddled with a "been there, done that" feeling through most of it only for a predictable ending.Best and Brightest was a refreshing break to the cycle! I can honestly say that there were many times where I was laughing aloud. The film is presented wonderfully to the point where you're constantly asking yourself, "is this really an Indie film?" The script seemed very-cleverly written offering nice little twists in the plot just when you think you know where it's going. The cast gave great performances making every single character a treat to the film. With every new scene I found myself excited to see each character back in the movie. It was also great to see a comedy pushing the limits of an R-rating without going too far to the point of overly childish slapstick. The film also does a great job drawing you into the story and keeping you interested in the character's plight, not just lining up the next joke. When I wasn't laughing, I actually cared what else was going on!I'm not sure how long the film is, but I thought it might've been maybe 10 minutes too long (or maybe I'm just getting old and need to stop going to the movies during the week). Additionally, like most mainstream movies, it's a bit of a "white movie" in that everyone is white and minorities are only included when they need to be the joke (eye roll). From my experience with Indies, this is where they usually shine for me in showing fresh faces and "non-standard" looking casts. All-in-all a very funny, cleverly-written, adult comedy that runs the gamut of emotions in a genuinely unique way. Nicely done.

ndw5240 2012-05-09 20:46:00

A farce about the insanity of getting your kid into the 'right' private school in NYC

I went to this preview because I thought the premise had a lot ofpromise; my good friends living in New York are living testimonials tothe absurdity of getting into preschool. A couple from Delaware move toManhattan, with the assumption that they will actually get their fiveyear old into a school. Not so fast. To make this happen, a charade isconstructed, and soon it takes off on a mind of its own. This movie dida great job,and was hysterical. It had a great pace, and greatcharacters. Many of the concepts (like sexting as high art poetry) werebrilliant. I hope this film takes off, because it is an original , andthoroughly enjoyable story.

tub87373 2012-05-04 22:30:44

Very Funny Movie

Saw an advanced screening of this movie with a Q&A afterward withCo-Writer/Director Josh Shelov. I was on-set during one of the scenesand I thought this would be an independent PG-13 comedy. Instead, it'sa very heartfelt, R-rated comedy with excellent actors. First the movie, it was hilarious! People in the audience were laughinghysterically, so I wasn't alone. To me, there is four parts of thismovie. Part 1, 2, and 4 are hysterical, and part 3 was pretty good, butnot great. The writing by Josh Shelov and Michael Jaeger is witty,old-school, and just plain funny. It's been a while since I've seen acomedy that isn't sarcasm and too raunchy. This film is raunchy, yes,but in a good way. It's a farce, and a very good one. The story is veryright-on and the situations are original and just hilarious. The acting ensemble, including Peter Serafinowicz (voice of DarthMaul/Pete in Shaun of the Dead), Jenna Stern, and Amy Sedaris, aregreat. Neil Patrick Harris isn't great but it's cool to see him playsomeone other than a womanizer like Barney. Bonnie Somerville carriedthe leading role more than Harris. She carried the film with her uniqueacting skills. Another scene stealer was Christopher McDonald(remember? Shooter MaGavin in Happy Gilmore). He is a very funny guyand he needs to stick with comedy and not those TNT shows. Overall, funny movie. If I say anymore about the story, I'll spoil it.I'm saying, anyone would be up for a real surprise. After the film, Josh Shelov spoke to everyone in the audience. I askedhim a few questions. He is witty and original guy, and if you ever seean advanced screening with a Q and A with him, ask him about his bigbreak. It's a very fascinating and appalling story. See this movie...

billyweeds 2012-05-04 03:46:33

A must to avoid

This is the worst movie of 2011 so far and unlikely to be challenged.The first ten minutes are excellent, setting the stage for a lovelydramedy about a middle-class couple braving the horrors of NYC privatekindergarten, with an attractive Neil Patrick Harris and BonnieSomerville filling the bill nicely. And there's Amy Sedaris--such awinning comedian. But noooooo. Before you know it, this charming humancomedy devolves into one of the unfunniest, loudest, crudest, lewdestmovies imaginable. The actors are lost--Sedaris becomes monotonous,Harris a snooze, and all the rest of them unbearable. The very ideathat pornographic IMs could be mistaken for poetry by sentient NewYorkers is so unbelievable that the whole premise falls apart, and itjust gets worse and worse by the nanosecond. This is one of the mostinept films in memory.

2012-04-26 06:16:44

Very funny!

I have no real clue how I landed on watching this movie but I'm so glad I did. It starts out cute and sweet and charmingly funny, but about a fourth of the way in it kicks into semi-raunchy overdrive and never slows down.The leads are fine but the supporting cast really gives this movie its juice.The other positive reviews here are spot-on. It's very funny and borders on theatrical farce. Some of the throwaway lines are the funniest things in the movie.Recommended with a big smile.

2012-04-25 21:31:41

Fun Premise Terribly Executed

When a suburban family whose idea of "the American Dream" is living in a small NYC apartment and getting their daughter into a preppy school, hilarity ensues....or it should have. I am a huge Neil Patrick Harris fan, and Amy Sedaris often has moments of comic genius. Here though, their talent is squandered while navigating a script that was miraculously made in the first place. There is a reason this movie is direct-to-DVD, and isn't worth watching for anything. I am no prude, but there were scenes in this movie so inappropriate within the context of the premise, I found myself offended. Many scenarios are forced and silly (the bad kind of silly), and the movie couldn't end soon enough for me. You were warned.

2012-04-19 17:34:05

Once in a while, a movie makes me laugh. This one did.

Why would a family move to NYC to live in a shabby flat and want to get their 5-yr old into kindergarten by competing with elite New Yorkers? If you can ignore the improbable story line and focus on the witty conversations and great acting, you probably will enjoy the movie. It's not often that a comedy is worth being called a comedy. This one can really make me laugh out loud. Maybe I enjoyed it so much because I really had a tough time finding daycare for my 3 children here in the suburb of Washington DC.

2012-04-19 10:47:47

FUNNY MOVIE

This review is from: The Best and the Brightest (DVD) A VERY FUNNY MOVIE IN MANY PARTS AND GREAT BARBERSHOP SCENE WITH ME IN IT AS THE BARBER ACTOR VINCE

2012-04-17 23:16:15

Loved it!

This review is from: The Best and the Brightest (DVD) I really, really enjoyed this movie! Didn't know what to expect going in but it was a wicked, funny, raunchy delight! I'm sorry it didn't have more of a theatrical run, but not for lack of quality. I laughed, hard.

dhg13-1 2012-04-17 10:55:27

Funny, funny movie

I saw The Best and the Brightest last night.The movie is very funny, almost non stop laughs through the wholething. The cast did a great job, and the writing is wonderful. I willhave to see it again, because I missed much of the dialog because I waslaughing so loud. This is the type of movie one would go to because it takes you awayfrom reality. I am sure some where it is someones reality, but Ibelieve not many of us have gone through what Sam and Jeff had to gothrough.Unfortunately, I had to leave at the beginning of the Q&A in LosAngeles, so I was not able to let the Kate Mulgrew, Bonnie Sommerville,Josh Shelov,Michael Jaeger, and the others, what a fun , and funny filmthey have made. I do hope it is released soon, because it is a must see for my friends.

wiffle2010 2012-04-09 19:34:33

hilarious, original comedy, amazing cast

I saw this movie at a sneak preview screening in New York in March andI have to say that it's one of the funniest, most original comediesI've seen in a long time. It's not just a stupid-humor movie like theFarrelly Brothers and it's not a fancy highbrow comedy that onlycertain people will get either.It seems to be about a couple trying to get their daughter intokindergarten, but that's just the setup - their attempts to do so startspinning more and more out of control and it becomes this crazy, funR-rated farce. The director was at a talkback after the screening andhe said he was trying to make a movie in the style of "Tootsie" and "AFish Called Wanda," and I think he succeeded.Neil Patrick Harris is perfect as the straight man, and BonnieSomerville is adorable as his wife, but it's the off-the-wallcharacters around them who really steal the show: Amy Sedaris as theconsultant they hire, Jenna Stern as the school's headmistress,Christopher McDonald as a Bill Clinton-type, known only as "ThePlayer," Kate Mulgrew as his wife, John Hodgman as a nerdy andhilarious school board member, and British comedian Peter Serafinowiczas NPH's character's oversexed best friend.There are two particularly hysterical sequences in the movie that Iwon't spoil, but totally brought the house down at my screening - abook club scene, where all of the above characters have to read someR-rated "poetry" and discuss it like they're in class, and afundraiser/party scene where NPH's character is put on the spot and hasto try to deliver his "poetry" live.Find a way to see this movie. You won't be sorry.

2012-04-09 09:43:48

Terrific movie!

This review is from: The Best and the Brightest (DVD) Love this movie! Lots of storylines which tie together nicely. I've recommended it to all of my friends. I thought it was great casting and writing.

Mira8 2012-04-03 02:48:24

brilliant, must-see film

Just saw this film at a small screening in Ambler PA with thewriter/director on hand. It was the best thing I've seen all year.Funny, witty, fast paced, unpredictable, and NOT aimed at a bunch ofhormonal 15 year old boys. This is a movie for grownups - open mindedgrownups.The plot about the parents' struggle to get their daughter into a tonykindergarten is almost secondary: what makes this film so brilliant arethe characters. These are real people - as over the top as some of themare at times, these are real people, portrayed in a refreshing and openmanner. The casting is brilliant; I honestly can't say who was myfavorite performer because they were all outstanding in their rolesfrom start to finish.See this movie, you'll be glad you did.

chalpinm 2012-04-02 13:22:35

Very good movie

I had the opportunity to see Best and the Brightest at a showing inBrooklyn recently. This movie is a comedy that documents the strugglesof a young couple trying to get their kid into a NYC private schoolkindergarten. They go to ridiculous lengths to make this happen, andhilarity ensues.I don't normally go to independent movies, but I thought to myself thatthis is a movie that I would like to see if it were a major studiorelease. I felt that the premise had potential.Then I found out that Neil Patrick Harris was one of the leads in thismovie. NPH is arguably the most talented actor in my age bracket. Iguess I don't really need to toot his horn. If you're reading this,you're likely a fan.For an independent film, there sure were a lot of actors I knew. Themain lead in this movie was Bonnie Somerville, who I remember from anarc in The OC. There was Kelly Coffield Park, who I used to watch on InLiving Color. Another In Living Color vet, Steve Park (Kelly'shusband), had a big role. Kate Mulgrew, of Star Trek Voyager fame, wasalso in there. The movie also had two very talented supporting actorsin Amy Sedaris and Christopher McDonald. I've seen both their work inthe past, but for me, McDonald's resume looks like a list of moviesI've seen. He was in Grease 2, Breakin', and I'm probably the onlyperson on the planet that would complement his work in Chattanooga ChooChoo. And finally, I'll mention Jenna Stern, who I haven't seen muchof, but was very good in this movie as the comedic foil.The movie itself was very good.From the opening shot I knew this wasn't some amateur production. Ithad good cutaways, real music, and of course, a great cast. But mostimportant, the audience I was with laughed.That's the key. People laughed. I've seen so many movies where thejokes bomb. Comedians bomb more often than they are funny. But here,people laughed.This was not some sort of family comedy. It was rated R. No question. Fbombs were flying like Libya was the target. We had boobs. Two of them!And they were good! I expected the movie to center around Neil Patrick Harris, though Iwould say that Somerville, who played NPH's wife Samantha, was the truestar of the film. Best and the Brightest was not exactly what Iexpected. I went into the movie expecting PG-13 humor, with some sortof funny competition between families involving getting into preschool.The movie was really nothing like that. It was an R rated comedy withthe kindergarten theme, with some dirty humor that just worked.This is my first review on the IMDb, and I see the ban on spoilers. Idon't THINK I'm revealing a spoiler here, but just to be safe, here'syour SPOILER warning:The movie shows the difficulty one has to get their kid educated in aprivate school. While the movie was an exaggeration, apparently, itisn't THAT much of an exaggeration. These people hit a brick wall, andeven hired a coach named Sue (Sedaris) to get this kid into school.Sedaris basically decided that these people were too hum drum to standout, and looked for a hook, and wasn't above stretching the truth. Upon hearing that NPH's character Jeff wrote a single poem in highschool, Sue decided that Jeff would market himself as a soon to bepublished poet. The idea was they could fake it through the interviewwith the headmistress(Stern), and all would be OK. I don't want tospoil this movie too much, but let's just say something made its wayinto the application by mistake, and the humor that came as a resultmade this movie. One theme of this movie is what happens when a good intended liespirals out of control. Well, in this movie, funny things happen.This movie is better than a lot of things you see from the big studiostoday. The acting was top notch. Christopher McDonald has to beconsidered one of the more underrated actors out there. Everything hedoes, he does well. I don't need to compliment NPH. We all know he'sthe man. Sedaris was energetic and funny. Somerville of course was thestar. The Parks' roles were written especially FOR them, and they werefunny as well. The movie's biggest issues will be marketing. Yes, it's a funny movie.Yes, it's a good movie. But how do you market an R rated comedy with aPG 13 topic? The people that would laugh at this movie, and the peoplethat would likely go out and see it, may not be the same people. At thepost-movie Q&A, Director/co-writer Josh Shelov even said studiosweren't sure how to market it. That said, I hope this movie showcasesJosh well enough to get him to the next level. If Michael Bay can make movies, if Brannon Braga can still get workwriting and producing, if Will Ferrell is still allowed to act, thenmaybe it's time Hollywood raises its standards and lets some moretalented people like the crew behind Best and the Brightest at it.The bottom line is this--this movie has the most important element of acomedy. It's funny.