Gigantic (2008) - Aselton's idiosyncratic romcom debut

♥♥♥

 

Zooey Deschanel finds herself in an extremely short dress in a flush apartment on this yellow, everything-everywhere poster for Matt Aselton's Gigantic

A bed salesman in New York falls for a rude customer's daughter, who, however, is overwhelmed by his love.

 

Gigantic is written by Adam Nagata (Lying and Stealing (2019)) and debuting co-writer/director Matt Aselton (French Exit (2020, executive producer)). 

The film has good ingredients in Paul Dano (L.I.E. (2001)), Zooey Deschanel (Yes Man (2008)), John Goodman (The Monuments Men (2014)), Jane Alexander (The Cider House Rules (1999)) and Edward Asner (Island Prey (2001)), who all contribute more or less to its romcom stew, one that is a bit too much of a male patriarchal drivel reality for my taste. - One scene is bound to downright repulse quite a lot of female audiences (and perhaps rightly so.)

But there is also some fun and good scenes, - like the one in which Deschanel calls her substance abuse-mother in Florida, who doesn't recognize her voice. But the script doesn't answer a couple of fundamental oddities in it, which makes it appear somewhat unfair: Who is Zack Galifianakis' (Due Date (2010)) homeless attacker, whom Dano appears to kill, - and why does he attack him in the first place? - What is this supposed to mean? And why has Dano's character from childhood been obsessed with adopting a Chinese baby? No one every asks this (fairly obvious) question, and it honestly seems freaky, not least because he ends up receiving one in Gigantic.

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: 165k $

= Uncertain, but almost surely a box office disaster

[Gigantic premiered 8 September (Toronto International Film Festival) and runs 98 minutes. The story is based on Aselton's childhood wish for his parents to adopt a Chinese baby for him to have a younger sibling. Shooting took place in New York and Connecticut for 23 days in March 2008. The film opened #68 to a 10k $ first weekend in 1 theater in North America, where it never attained a higher position although it widened to 11 theaters, grossing 102k $ (61.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were France with 40k $ (24.2 %) and the UK with 22k $ (13.3 %), - the only two other markets listed on the film's Box Office Mojo site. If made on a realistic, low 3-5 mil. $ budget, the film would rank as a box office disaster. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Aselton returned with Robin Banks and the Bank Robbers (2014, TV-series) and theatrically with Lying and Stealing (2019). Dano returned in Taking Woodstock (2009); Deschanel in Yes Man (2008); and Goodman in The Emperor's New Schoool (2007-08, TV-series short) and theatrically in Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009). Gigantic is rotten at 36 % with a 4.60/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Gigantic?

Far from Heaven (2002) - Supreme production and Moore define Haynes' inspired period melodrama

♥♥♥♥♥

+ 3rd Best Movie of the Year 

+ Best Connecticut Movie of the Year + Best Melodrama of the Year + Best Period Movie of the Year + Best Screen Couple of the Year: Julianne Moore & Dennis Haysbert

Julianne Moore in neat 1950s attire makes up the majority of this simple poster for Todd Haynes' Far from Heaven

The Whitakers are viewed as societal pillars in their plush suburban community of Hartford, Connecticut in the 1950s, - but that image of them is about to crack: There are troubles in paradise.

Far from Heaven is written and directed by Californian master filmmaker Todd Haynes (Carol (2015)) as his 4th feature. Featuring both homosexual and racial themes of suppression, racism and bigotry, Far from Heaven is also a celebration of - and an entry in - the melodrama genre, which rides ahead here in sumptuously beautiful images, (cinematography by Edward Lachman (Life during Wartime (2009)).)
The costumes and sets are also top notch, adding to the intense satisfaction of watching the film. It has superb performances from Dennis Quaid (The Alamo (2004)), Dennis Haysbert (Mr. Baseball (1992)) and particularly Julianne Moore (Bel Canto (2018)), who is also divinely beautiful as the really good housewife protagonist.
Elmer Bernstein's (Frankie Starlight (1995)) score is a truly great one, a booming and piercing work of brilliance. SPOILER Far from Heaven doesn't go the last mile with a kiss at the railway station between the miserable, wronged wife and her secret love the colored gardener (Haysbert), which is a shame. Nevertheless this film is a precious treasure that can be seen again and again.

Related posts:

Todd Haynes:  2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
Top 10: Best 'box office success' movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Carol (2015) - Haynes' romance adaptation is a triumph
Mildred Pierce (2011, miniseries) - Haynes' spin on the Cain classic is a luxury   
I'm Not There (2007) - Haynes' experimental Bob Dylan biopic is half-good, half-bad

2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]  

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 13.5 mil. $
Box office: 29 mil. $
= Flop (returned 2.14 times its cost)
[Far from Heaven premiered 2 September (Venice Film Festival, Italy) and runs 107 minutes. Haynes was inspired by the 1950s melodramas of Douglas Sirk as well as Rainer Werner Fassbinder's melodrama masterpiece Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974) in determining the film's style and narrative. Shooting took place in New Jersey in and around October 2001. The film opened #30 to a 211k $ first weekend in 6 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #11 and in 286 theaters, grossing 15.9 mil. $ (54.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Italy with 2.6 mil. $ (9 %) and the UK with 2 mil. $ (6.9 %). The film was nominated for 4 Oscars, winning none: It lost Best Actress to Nicole Kidman in The Hours, Original Screenplay to Pedro Almodóvar for Talk to Her, Cinematography to Conrad L. Hall for Road to Perdition and Score to Elliot Goldenthal for Frida. It was also nominated for 4 Golden Globes, a European Film award, won 5/5 nominations for Independent Spirit awards, 2 National Board of Review awards, 4 awards in Venice and several other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 4/4 star review, translating to a notch higher than this one. Haynes returned with music video Sonic Youth: Disappearer (2004) and theatrically with I'm Not There (2007). Moore returned in masterpiece The Hours (2002), Haysbert in 8 short, video, video game, TV and animated projects before he returned physically in a feature in Jarhead (2005), Quaid in Cold Creek Manor (2003). Far from Heaven is certified fresh at 88 % with an 8.11/1o critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Far from Heaven?

A Home at the End of the World (2004) or, In Need of Haircuts

♥♥♥

Co-star Colin Farrell looks contemplative in front on this character-focused poster for Michael Mayer's A Home at the End of the World

A Home at the End of the World is debuting filmmaker Michael Mayer's (The Seagull (2018)) film of Michael Cunningham's (The Hours (2002)) same-titled 1990 novel, which he has adapted for the screen himself.

 

The film centers on a about a ménage à trois consisting of a teenaged gay couple and a woman, Clare, who become parents together.

 
The film clearly has good intentions, but they are regrettably not turned into a successful movie. A Home at the End of the World is often pretty awkward and unintentionally funny: Ridiculous hairdos and super-sweetness gets mixed with huge year leaps and a very unsatisfactory ending.
But points go to Colin Farrell (Minority Report (2002)) for doing something entirely new in playing a believable bisexual, and for Sissy Spacek (Carrie (1976)) for being a wonderful mother in the film. On the other hand; huge minus-points for director Mayer for cutting nude scenes of Farrell out, because they "distracted test audiences too much."
A Home at the End of the World is a sweet, very new-age-y drama with some good music, but it is also a very flawed picture.

 

Related post:

 

Michael Mayer: 2004 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 6.5 mil. $
Box office: 1.5 mil. $
= Box office disaster (returned 0.23 times its cost)

[A Home at the End of the World premiered 9 June (New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival) and runs 96 minutes. Shooting took place in April 2003 - ? in New York, Arizona, including Phoenix, and in Ontario, including Toronto. The film opened #46 to a 64k $ first weekend in 5 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #40 and in 65 theaters (different weeks), grossing 1 mil. $ (66.7 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 144k $ (9.6 %) and Spain with 95k $ (6.3 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, translating to 2 notches higher than this one. The film won a National Board of Review award. Mayer returned with Flicka (2006). Farrell returned in Alexander (2004); Dallas Roberts (My Friend Dahmer (2017)) in Walk the Line (2005); Robin Wright (Rampart (2011)) in Nine Lives (2005)), and Spacek also in Nine Lives. A Home at the End of the World is rotten at 50 % with a 5.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 
What do you think of A Home at the End of the World?