Cyrus

Despite a promising beginning, there’s really not a whole lot to write about when it comes to this offering from The Duplace Brothers, their first with anything other than a miniscule budget. Cyrus tells the story of John (John C. Reilly), whose life is a shambolic mess following his divorce seven years previously. Yes, seven years. Upon hearing that his ex wife Jamie (Catherine Keener) is to re-marry, she convinces him to join her and her fiancé Tim at a party. The usual antics occur; he makes a fool of himself chatting up random women, gets disgracefully drunk, and somehow meets a lady called Molly (Marisa Tomei) who makes him feel like himself again. While he’s urinating in the bushes. Apparently, she likes his honesty.

Following this John becomes curious as to why his new squeeze keeps sneaking off in the middle of the night. His obsessive tendencies take over and he follows her home, only to fall asleep in his car. Exploring her premises the following morning, he encounters Cyrus (Jonah Hill), and the story, supposedly, begins in earnest, becoming a battle of wits between John and Cyrus with Molly as the ultimate prize.

Initially the most noticeable thing about Reilly, is that we have seen it all before. The lead role that he occupies feels suspiciously like it was written for Will Ferrell, with the character of John portraying an amalgamation of Ferrell’s finest moments, from his post-canine depression of Anchorman to his Frank the Tank escapades of his Old School days, Reilly flounders and is generally unfunny, predictable, and downright frustrating to watch as he becomes a diluted figure with little to interest us about him.

His is not the only performance deserving of criticism though, and as the star attraction of the piece it is even more disappointing that Jonah Hill fails to live up to expectation, barely forcing a handful of laughs throughout the entire film. This is very unfortunate given his extremely creepy role and the potential that is there for exploitation. Despite this he has a strong presence on screen, with the audience never quite sure what is coming next or what direction his emotionally charged character will take.

In his defence, perhaps Cyrus demands too much of Hill. The teenager and his mother have an exceptionally strong bond, and at times it is easy to forget they are related. This leads to an incestuous undertone while making Cyrus look like a perverted teenage predator, preying on his mother’s willingness to love him and raise him as best as she possibly can. One scene in particular in their home, which occurs as Molly showers before bed, feels strange given the age of Cyrus if nothing else. Added to this the duality of his character, toying with both Molly and John as he wishes throughout and conveying his emotions as such, while still trying to remain a comic figure, seems a lot to ask of anybody.

Overall the storyline feels fresh, if predictable. For the most part it is well executed, and the drama aspects succeed. The comedy side of things leaves the whole piece down, with too many moments that are not as funny on screen as the writers may have envisaged, and too many set pieces feeling laboured. For large parts it is drab, probably down to the lack of input from Hill, and that is disappointing because so much more could be expected.

Rating:
2/5