**INDIE FILM REVIEW** “I’m Obsessed With You (But You’ve Got To Leave Me Alone)”
Good day to all of you, dear readers, on this cold, but beautiful Saturday afternoon. Well, at least it’s cold where I am here in Ohio. So IF you are fortunate enough to be ELSEWHERE where it is sunny and WARM….don’t tell me as a jealous rage will then ensue, and I really don’t want to spend the rest of the day cleaning up the wreckage of by bedroom. So, thanks to the unexpected (but VERY welcome) contact from Sunshine Sachs NY/L.A.-based publicists Annick Oppenheim and Caryn Leeds (THANK YOU for reaching out and providing this opportunity, ladies!), I present to you a new review for the quirky and eccentric indie film “dramedy”, “I’m Obsessed With You (But You’ve Got To Leave Me Alone)”.
SEE THE TRAILER HERE
Based on the play “IMPROVed” by actress/writer/producer Genevieve Adams, the story takes us to Darby College, and into the lives of four best friends who, as seniors, are about to embark on the greater journey of life following their pending graduation from school. Having formed an improve comedy group know as the “Formal Fridays”, we are introduced to each character via an effective voiceover narration that would SEEM to be reciting their respective obituaries (think Jeremy Piven’s speech for John Cusack’s character in “Serendipity“) before actually moving into the story proper. There’s the somewhat neurotic and anxiety-ridden Kari Langdon (Adams), Jake Birnbaum (Jason Ralph) who is developing a potential TV pilot and seems has an infatuation/history with Kari, Cyrus Kapoor (Manish Dayal), a poet who has several deeper struggles he’s battling beneath his calm, normal-looking exterior, and the decidedly free-spirited and perpetually bubbly Nell Fitzpatrick (Rachel Brosnahan), who truly seems to love everybody unquestioningly. Each is living out there respective existence within the bonds of the friendship they have cultivated with each other via the improv group as well as dealing with all the typical quirks of being young….facing love, commitment, phobias, anxieties, joys, pains, and other facets that come with heading into adulthood and accepting new responsibilities. But when a visiting film star, Freddie Diaz (Thomas McDonell), enters the picture and becomes not only the center of attention, but also directly intertwined in the group’s circle, the whole status quo the four have shared for years gets shaken up, and it begins an entirely new adventure for each of them, reflecting back on TRULY what the friendships between them have meant, as EVERYTHING comes out. And, for one, it leads up to a potentially tragic choice that ultimately causes ALL of them to face what and who they’ve become. As the story jumps forward, we see where they have all ended up, but another event draws them back together, with high emotions arising, and though the eccentricities of each come out as expected in being around each other again, the depth of their love for each other overcomes the obstacles, and new levels of self-awareness, self-ACCPETANCE, and that mutual closeness they all treasure is fulfilled in letting go of the past, knowing what it is to move on, and to finally gain the success they started out to achieve TOGETHER. Per my normal rule, any further details would account for spoilers, and ALSO per usual…it isn’t happening!
Now, I will have to admit first that this type of “college comedy/drama” or whatever term you would assign to it is not usually in my wheelhouse as, so often, they sink into a poor attempt to re-create the feel of “Animal House” and/or “Dead Poets Society“, for example, and COMPLETELY fail. This movie, however, actually manages TO pull it all off, giving us that combination of off-beat, subtle, even dry humor along WITH serious dramatic moments that a few times, had me tearing up. I think it is a story that on many levels can be totally relatable when we think back on our own college experiences and the friendships formed there that truly helped us get through both the best AND worst times, even when it WAS those friends we were sometimes at odds with, as is effectively portrayed here. The young cast was perfect, each emoting so well and just fitting their roles, and bringing out that sense of realism to the characters. Kari’s stilted view of life combined with her nerdy demeanor and neurosis was very engaging as played by Adams. Jake’s focused determination but often rash decision-making and all-out initial jealousy of Freddie that caused tension among the group was smartly given to us by Ralph. Cyrus’ “regular guy” with deeper issues and feelings that are exposed as the story progresses made him a character I personally could relate to on certain levels, and Dayal showing that slow emerging of these elements was fantastic. Nell’s character was a serious study in eccentric behavior for me, as she could go from being this totally happy-go-lucky individual who at times seemed to worry about nothing to totally serious in her caring for her friends and being FULLY invested in their well-being, which Brosnahan excelled at. And playing the arrogant, self-assured movie star Freddie, who ends up learning a few things about what it is TO come between a group of friends this close, McDonell delivers that character to us solidly, as I resented him, then accepted him, then kinda resented him again! Overall, the film is executed more intelligently than I would normally expect from this genre (a testament to Ms. Adams!). Yes, there were some thematic elements I personally didn’t overly like, and there is a copious amount of language present, and just being honest, I cannot say it’s a film I may necessarily see again. BUT, it’s a clever study in characters, the choices we make when we’re young, (good AND bad) and the lessons that can only be learned from being willing to FACE those challenges with those we hold closest to us, getting BEYOND the pain and hurt, and moving on to success together.
FOLLOW this film on their Twitter Website and Facebook Page ALSO, follow the main cast on Twitter: Jason Manish Rachel Thomas
PURCHASE or RENT the film via: Amazon Instant Video VUDU iTunes Xbox Live Google Play and in the UK, BlinkBox
As always, this is all for YOUR consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
I enjoyed this film so much. Ms. Adams writing skills equal her acting skills. She was so funny and genuine. Jason Ralph was perfect as the guy that questions everything that is not as he sees it. Of course as most women, I adored Manish Dayal’s portrayal of the tortured poet Cyrus. As usual his performance stood out. The scene where Freddie talks about how being too attractive keeps an actor from being taken seriously and Cyrus agrees saying ‘that is so true’, we were all in on that joke!
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