Have to be honest here, I just didn't get PINEAPPLE EXPRESS. As with most David Gordon Green fare, I found it dull, unrealistic, melodramatic, and poorly acted. It just didn't make sense to me. I would have left after the first 15 minutes, but I went with a friend who I thought was enjoying it, and I didn't want to ruin it for him... until after the two-and-a-half hours of nonsense and we both found out we felt the same exact way. Not funny, not interesting, nothing new or original. And if I WERE stoned while watching it, I probably would've been even more bored. No wonder Rogen wrote this when he was 19. That's exactly what it seemed like. SUPERBAD was at least moderately interesting and had a fair story, if not a unique one, with some likable and engaging characters.
THAT all said, I was equally baffled by the poor reception to SMILEY FACE. Though the one came out some time after the other, SMILEY FACE impressed the hell out of me. I found it honest, sincere, very funny, and surprisingly well acted. There are some true moments that Araki captures exactly what it is to be stoned, wandering around LA and trying to figure out what's happening. Some of the inner-monologue of Faris is absolute genius: at once funny and truthful, particularly an entire exegesis on whether or not a "Garfield" poster would make sense being put up in the protagonist's house... all this after merely peering at a picture of corn.
The music is great, the editing and directing style are both spot-on (think a more stripped- down TRAINSPOTTING), and even though very little happens overall, I was never bored, because the screenplay continually throws interesting moments into the mix, making even something as simple as Faris trying to drive out of her parking garage or waiting at the dentist VERY engaging and laugh-out-loud funny.
Definitely Gregg Araki's best movie to date, and Faris', as well. Surprisingly creative and one of the few portrayals of stoners I've seen in far too long (hey, they're a culture, like any other!), I'm as confused at how few people saw SMILEY FACE as I am at why so many seemed to have seen PINEAPPLE (sans the Rogen factor, which clearly grew some crowds on its own).
Check out SMILEY FACE... if you can find it. Maybe buy on Amazon. You won't regret it.
