Friday, April 12, 2013

Stay at Home Movie Club: Review and Discussion: Nobody Walks (2012)



 Alright! So all in all, I liked this movie. Review, discussion, and spoilers after the jump!

Barbara: So. I'm going to give this a 3/5 star rating. I liked it. I really liked Jim Halpert, uhrm, I mean John Krasinski in this movie.  He can do no wrong in my eyes, but  it's nice to see him in a role a little further away from Jim Halpert than normal.  And you get to see him get frisky... so there's that. Poor Pam. I mean, that other lady in the movie who plays his wife, Julie.  Rosemarie DeWitt is actually really good as the modern, everything's cool, earth mama.  She plays the role of a therapist well, and at times, you can tell she is using her therapist super powers on herself, which shows her wisdom.  She can tell when something's up with her husband Peter, but doesn't go into psycho mode immediately, which is refreshing.  Not sure I would be that chill, but whatever.  She mentions to her daughter at one point how choosing someone is what ya do, and that's that.  She clearly loves Peter, has chosen him, and willing to overcome his infidelity because she know they have chosen each other, and as Peter says to Martine "Marriage is complicated."

Ah, Martine. Ugh.  I feel like I know this type of girl. The kind that uses her charms to beguile and get what she wants, leaving a path of certain destruction.  Yet, with a smile and a wink, and her tomboy style, she manages to come across as innocent?  Martine's little film project was kind of cool, but worthy of inspiring such awe in Peter? Uhm, not buying it.

I think the best part of this movie was that house.  Rich hipsters living the dream in Silver Lake, LA.  That house was gorgeous, and I felt like I was a houseguest watching some of those scenes.  I wanted a grilled cheese sandwich, and to go swimming in the pool.

I also thought India Ennenga, as the teenage daughter Kolt, did an awesome job.  Such deep thoughts under a sweet exterior--the other end of innocence, in relation to Martine.  She feels the jealousy, she writes.  She tells her Italian tutor what's up, even if it means she nearly gets accosted by him. Yikes.  Her poem from that scene was pretty great though.  I felt like I saw Lena Dunham's writing the most in her character.  Lena knows awkward naivety well, and delivers.

All in all, this movie was basically a chance for me to watch John Krasinski. Yep. Oh, and I love Justin Kirk too--who plays Julie's needy, film-maker patient, who is also attracted to Julia. (PS I miss Weeds. Andy Botwin, I love you!) So I will watch anything with these guys in it, but I think this movie could have used a little more drive in some areas.  But, for a little peek into this upper middle class, artsy world, id did the trick.

Jen: Scruff. John's character has it. I love it. Enough said. Ok, Ok maybe I will discuss a little bit about this chicky, Martine. Man, is she pretty, right? Even with that creepy, could-be-a-wig, probably-isn't-a-wig-because she's an (with dramatics in your voice) "actor" hair.  Immediately, she set the tone for me the moment she revealed that, "Listen, um. I had a great time sitting next to you on the plane." Hussy. Is that harsh? I don't care because she sort of proved me right, but more on that later...
The movie wastes no time bringing Martine into the world of this Silver Lake family. Honestly, Rosemarie DeWitt and John Krasinski did not sell me on the believability of their relationship. She seems older, and he had this young spirit about him. Perhaps, I felt this because of their professions--Julie (DeWitt) a psychologist, and Peter (Krasinski) a sound editor. Regardless, I felt a definite disconnect between them, which could have been because of the film editing, or maybe they were just that awesome of actors.
We meet Julie's daughter, Kolt, (India Ennenga--what a name right?). She may be the best part of this film, but it took me awhile to get there. Mostly, I spent the entire movie feeling angsty for her. She had this pathetic, but not too pathetic way about her. She had this angsty, but not too angsty way about her. She played a 15 year old so well--i.e. annoyed that no one sees her as an adult, awkward, lusty, and all with a subtle brilliance. You knew she was a badass, you were just waiting to see when.
Then, there are these other people like scruffed Dylan McDermott who played Julie's ex and Kolt's dad, Justin Kirk who played Billy, Julie's typical psych patient who has the hot's for her, Rhys Wakefield (David) who I don't care about but Martine hangs out with i.e. proves even more that she is a sexually driven hussy, some other kid and then Kolt's Italian tutor Marcello, played by Emanuele Sexxi, excuse me Secci, who did a great job of creeping me out.
Here's the nitty gritty. The whole movie surrounds this little infatuation Peter develops on Martine and vice versa. She is completely guilty of giving him the eyes and flirting because I do feel as though Peter as a character is just that nice and friendly. Her little hussy self just doesnt care and whoever makes her panties wet for a hot second, she destroys them. So, they bone and Peter has this meltdown when Martine isn't paying enough attention to him, Julie can sense something shady, but in the meantime she is getting attention from Billy so she is all sorts of psychologically confused. Do Peter and Julie ever talk about it?  No. They have a scene in a car that is silent except for the rumble of the car, and you as the viewer know what is up. She is pissed, and he feels like a stupid coward. In the meantime, Kolt is with her tutor--she tells him this amazing poem she wrote about him, he freaks out on her and Martine is likeable for a hot second as she sits with Kolt. Martine tells people she is leaving. Julie is a badass when she makes Martine very aware that she will never be associating with their family again and then she leaves. Bam.
I don't know if it is a good or bad thing that you leave the movie pretty satisfied with the ending. I didn't find myself wanting to know how Peter and Julie were coping with the affair. I didn't find myself caring what Martine's next hussy step was, and I found it a great twist that Kolt was, in fact, the reminder that innocence may be better than not. The most beautiful thing I got from this film was the house. God, was that a gorgeous house, right? Scene stealer everytime. I wanted to see every detail of the architecture and how they dressed the scene. That house made me want to be in the movie. Well, and Krasinski's scruff. It was all about the scruff.


More thoughts to come... but let's discuss the following:

Do you think Peter genuinely became obsessed with Martine, or was just you, know, a bit randy?

Who were your favorite characters? Least favorite? Best performances?

What was up with the creepy Italian tutor?

Why is Silver Lake so cool?

See Roger Ebert's much more well-written review here. (spoiler- he doesn't like it!)


Vote how many stars you'd give this film below!

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