Monday, May 12, 2014

Neighbors

There are certain things you can expect from a movie like Neighbors. A movie helmed by the director of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, co-written by the producer of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, produced by the creator of This Is the End, and starring the face of the contemporary Brat Pack stoner comedy genre. These things include: excessive drug use, obscure-to-painfully-lame pop culture references, gratuitous-ish female nudity, gratuitous-ish male nudity, dick jokes, fart jokes, gay jokes, black jokes, and riffs that often run too long. To complain about the usage of such things in a film of this kind is fruitless. Expect them to be there, because they will be.

Sadly, what I’ve stopped expecting from these movies is some sort of consistent intelligence. Thankfully, Neighbors is the (very) welcome exception. Don’t get me wrong, Neighbors is a film of its kind – generously appealing to its base audience with sex, drugs, and EDM, but its absurdity is steadily accompanied with a razor-sharp wit that transcends mere toilet humor.
Young married couple, Mac and Kelly (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne), move into a nice home on a quiet street with their infant daughter. They’re just starting to embrace the reality of becoming adults when a fraternity (run by Zac Efron and Dave Franco) moves in next door. The adults try to play nice, the kids don’t listen. The cops are called. War is waged. Chaos ensues.

I have trouble with many of the movies born from the Judd Apatow school of filmmaking. Generally, most of them are good for a few laughs, but just as many fall flat. Occasionally, there’s a component(s) that breaks through and elevates the film. For Neighbors, these components are Zac Efron and Rose Byrne.

Raised under the strict tutelage of Disney, Zac Efron initially tried to break out with a string of bad-to-worse romance dramas and flawed comedies. Despite this, I always find myself rooting for the guy. He’s taking chances. He fully embraced the madness of Lee Daniels’ The Paperboy and delivered a fine lead turn in the JFK assassination drama, Parkland. But as frat leader Teddy Sanders in Neighbors, Efron has never been better. The challenge here is that many people perceive the real Zac Efron to be a variation of the frat boy stereotype. And while that isn’t something I believe, the point is that, through Neighbors, he’s so dedicated to owning the frat boy jock douchebag persona that he singlehandedly makes the film worth it. His comic timing is perfect and his use of physical presence is hysterical. My favorite moment of Efron’s in the film is nothing more than a series of jump cuts that get closer and closer to his confused and angered face. Efron really went for it here, and I honestly can’t say enough good things about it.
I’ve been a fan of Rose Byrne’s work since she played a neglected daughter in the criminally overlooked film, The Dead Girl. Since then, she’s delivered solid performances in nearly every film genre and been nominated for a couple of Emmys for her commanding work on Damages. Most of the Neighbors crowd will recognize her as queen bitch Helen from Bridesmaids, but her turn in Neighbors is easily her finest comedic effort yet. Given the freedom to speak in her native Australian accent, Byrne outshines every other actor in the movie with her dry humor and sharp intellect. She can riff with the best of them, and sell a joke to hilarious results. I had no idea Byrne had this performance in her. A pleasant surprise in a genre lacking them.

Neighbors is far from groundbreaking, but it had enough going on to keep me entertained and laughing throughout. Efron and Byrne were chiefly responsible for this, as was the impressive production design/photography of the frat party sequences (they’re gorgeous in a disgusting way). Beyond the film’s humor, Neighbors genuinely had a lot of interesting things to say about one’s inability to accept adulthood. Mac and Kelly are immature and neglectful, and they know it. In many ways, they’re barely housebroken themselves. They miss the party, and want nothing more than to be invited back. But at some point, you have to grow the hell up and accept your life, now. I’d be curious to know if the Teddy Sanders’ of the world see Neighbors for what it actually is. B

44 comments:

  1. Well I guess anything is possible lol. Glad you liked this one but I absolutely hated it. Maybe I just don't like the whole fratboy/fraternity attitude (or at least what it's portrayed as in films) but I found the characters in this film absolutely annoying. I just wanted to punch Efron and Franco (among others) in the face. I nearly walked out of this film because it was just pissing me off - but I stayed, knowing I wouldn't be able to say I sat through it all if I did leave. So I did, I sat in my seat in silence while nearly everyone else around me laughed. Wasted my time I did. But at least you were able to find something in it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I totally get where you’re coming from here. And honestly, I think a lot of people will feel the same way you did about the film. Now, what I will say is that Neighbors is one of the most accurate portrays of the frat boy persona that I’ve ever seen. I wasn’t in a fraternity, but I’ve been around that culture plenty, and Neighbors got it right.

      What I really liked about the film was how it openly mocked the frat boy mentality. Dave Franco was the obvious voice of reason, but I loved that there was a least one guy going, “Yo, you know this is all bullshit, right?” Neighbors was definitely a condemnation of that lifestyle, not an endorsement. Nothing against Abercrombie models, but if that’s how you want to spend your post-college life, then, well, good luck. Know what I mean?

      Delete
  2. This is a great review for the film, Alex. I watched it the other day and just had a blast. It's one of the funniest comedies I've seen in the last decade, but it doesn't stop there: it's actually a very good film, notably smart and really touching towards the end. Fucking amazing film. I loved it! Hadn't laughed that much since, well, "This is the end", of the same creators.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice man. I really loved This Is the End as well, and I was stunned that I liked Neighbors as much as I did. But yeah, I laughed my ass off and appreciated its intelligence. That's enough for me!

      Delete
    2. Also, personally, I love - really LOVE- "the movies born from the Judd Apatow school of filmmaking". Those movies always make me laugh, even if they rarely get to be THAT good. Fucking loved "Neighbors". Ready to watch "Knocked up" for something like fifth time tonight. God, I love those movies.

      Delete
    3. Some of them, like Neighbors, definitely work for me. But sadly, I can barely stand some of the others. Oh well, way it goes.

      Delete
  3. I just got out of this, and I really enjoyed it too. I hated frat boys in college, so watching them get made fun of was pretty enjoyable for me. And as a new parents, I could relate to a few things that Mac and Kelly had going on there. Plus, I do love a good dick joke, and this film had plenty. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha this comment rocks. I actually love hearing the new parent angle - hope you'll touch on that in your review. Dick jokes aside, I really did think it was an all together mature flick.

      Delete
  4. Fantastic review, I'm really glad you liked it! I'm really excited for this movie, since This is the End was one of my favourite movies from last year. And also, can we please have more Rose Byrne in movies now? What an actress!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I think you'll like this one if you liked This Is the End. Rose Byrne should probably just go ahead and be in all the movies. I adore her.

      Delete
  5. Great review! Rose Byrne was awesome in this. She needs to start popping up in the discussion of comedic women. The part was also pretty refreshing since most female characters in this type of movie are not nearly as cool.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jess! You're so spot on about Byrne's role in this. They gave her some of the best lines, and she played a woman of importance and power. Women in these films are often treated as pretty set pieces, at best. I loved that she was given more to do.

      Delete
  6. I saw this film yesterday as I posted my review of it later that day. It was better than I thought it would be. The standouts are Byrne and Efron as they really have the chops to make the film so much more than it needed to be. I love Rose Byrne and I knew with the right film, she could do wonders and here, she made me laugh through and through. Especially with that Kevin James line. Efron I think is on his way to becoming someone to watch out for. Shit, if I had the chance to remake the Star War prequels and fix up some of its bad dialogue and make more sense in the direction. I would've had him play Anakin Skywalker. He's got way more talentin his pinky than Hayden Christensen has in his entire body.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dude, what the hell even happened to Hayden Christensen? I'll admit, I appreciated his work in Life as a House and Shattered Glass, but nothing much before or since. Kind of a shame.

      Anyway, seems we fully agree on Neighbors, which is cool. Byrne, that gal's got talent. I love her.

      Delete
    2. I heard he's trying to make a comeback or something but do we really even care? A twig has more personality than him.

      Delete
  7. This movie was actually hilarious. You're right, it is definitely a film of it's kind and doesn't break any new ground, but it is a rare kind that's actually extremely funny. That whole Robert De Niro thing had me in stitches.

    Plus, Zac Efron was so great in this! And Rose Byrne was hilarious. She should definitely do a lot more comedy like this, because she's so great at it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! So glad you liked this one. I was nervous when other people on the 'cast started talking down about it. But I'm really glad you thought it was so funny. Byrne should most definitely do more comedy like this. She was gold.

      Delete
  8. sounds fun, despite its flaws. i definitely wanna check this out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That'd be my recommendation: just have fun with it. It's pretty much exactly what you expect it to be, you know?

      Delete
  9. Great review! I'm looking forward for this movie myself. Hopefully I enjoy it as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I hope you enjoy it too. Byrne and Efron... they're tops here.

      Delete
  10. It is decent isn't it! I'm not crazy, or a little demented.

    I like Rogen, but you're right: Efron and Byrne own this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hell yeah man. Definitely got a lot of laughs out of me, which is really all I can ask for with a movie like this.

      Delete
  11. Looking forward to this, I've just been so busy lately I haven't had a chance to go to the cinema. Although I'm going this week to check out Godzilla!

    Nice review! Glad you liked it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks buddy. I'm pumped for Godzilla too. I rarely make it to the cinema for "big" movies anymore, but comedies should be seen with a large crowd, in my opinion. So that helped make Neighbors pretty enjoyable!

      Delete
  12. Alex, you should really check out "Godzilla". I watched it yesterday in 3D and it's a really fascinating monsters movie. I'm really thrilled by the artistic qualities mainstream movies display these days, man - fucking amazing, right? I mean, I watched the sequel of "Captain America" a month ago and was "WTF? This isn't only a great Marvel adventure, it's a really great film!" Don't get me wrong, everything you want from a movie like "Godzilla" is there: heavy action, incredible special effects, terrific production design. But it's also remarkably well written (minor some cliches and a few underdevolped characters), suberbly acted (especially from Cranston) and unstoppably thrilling. What more can you expect, really? I really loved it and I hope you also will.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh man, now I'm so pumped to see it. Really glad you stopped by and dropped a line on it. I'll report back after I see it Friday!

      Delete
    2. Great, man! I think you'll love it.

      Delete
    3. You know, Godzilla is not my kind of movie. So I say with immense satisfaction that I absolutely loved it. I loved how he kept cutting away from the battles, saving it all for that final showdown. He also wasn't too tied to the heroism, if you know what I mean. (Don't want to give anything away...) But yeah man, I really enjoyed it. Thanks again for the recommendation!

      Delete
    4. You're welcome, man! It's definitely not my kind of movie, either, so I was pleasantly surprised while watching it. I think it's impressively well-made on the whole and thoroughly entertaining. I enjoyed it very much! Glad you also liked it.

      Delete
    5. That ending was insane! Really surprised me.

      Delete
  13. Oh, that's a fantastic closing line. So true! And so indicative of how this movie totally works on another level beyond just the frat shenanigans, as you point out. I was honestly shocked by how much I dug this one. And yay for Rose Byrne. She's such a great actress and such a great comedian, and hopefully this one really leads to her deserved breakout in America.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks man! Obviously, you praising lines of my review means a lot to me, as you are the king of precise, indicative sentences in your own reviews.

      I was floored that I liked this one as well. Byrne, man... put her in everything.

      Delete
  14. I'm gonna see it this weekend and I cannot wait - I love Seth Rogen and Byrne was hysterical in Bridesmaids and Get him to the Greek. I'm seeing it with someone who never saw a comedy with Rogen so I wonder what our take on the movie will be :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh wow, what an interesting way to see this movie. I'm dying to know what you and your friend think!

      Delete
    2. We both loved it, we nearly fell off the chairs when Rogen hit that ceiling fan during the big fight ^^ I shall have review up next week:)

      Delete
    3. Nice! That's great to hear, can't wait for your review.

      Delete
  15. Loved this movie! Efron was the surprising standout, in my opinion, but everyone was fantastic. I thought the party scenes were so aesthetically pleasing. And it was FUNNY. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time - laughing at myself as much as I was laughing at the characters. Oh, to be in college again. ;-) Thanks for reviewing this, Alex!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank YOU for reading! Such a funny movie, and I'm so happy you liked it. One of the funniest I've seen in a while.

      Delete
  16. I want to see this film purely to have a bit of fun. I can't wait to see that moment, too: "My favorite moment of Efron’s in the film is nothing more than a series of jump cuts that get closer and closer to his confused and angered face." How can this NOT be awesome?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That scene is so priceless, and believe me, you'll know EXACTLY what scene I'm talking about when you see it. Hope you like the movie!

      Delete
  17. I also root for Efron. He's in that Shia LaBeouf category of young actors taking risks, even if they don't always pay off. Glad you liked it, man. I'll check it out soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do give credit to LaBeouf for trying new things, I just wish he wasn't as pompous about it. But still, Efron was great here.

      Delete