Pessoas, Lugares e Coisas

Kind of like The Florida Project for divorcing and dating and remarrying couples. Everything falls apart, but kids maintain the center. The center of pizza, the center of needing to go, the center of cello and French lessons. Dad dawdles over his drawings and manages to bump into the feelings of everyone he encounters. Emotionally clumsy, he, and helpless and hapless to boot.

But it was ever this way. Anyone who has ever been in love knows what a glorious mess it is.

Jemaine carried the film, that's the truth. Otherwise it would have been yet another New York dialogue based neurotic script. The story is heart warming and acted with a candor that is both funny and tragic. Real characters, real people, that is what the plot was trying to portray and it pretty much manages to do so. There are some bits that are a bit forced and kind of show that the writer is also the director, but overall a good movie.

The thing is that without Jemaine Clement as the lead, I am not sure I would have rated this more than average, while the jokes are funny, but pretty spaced out. Not a lot of romance in it either - well, it is, but real stuff, not butterfly in the stomach and people meant for each other. It's just ... life.

This movie attracted me due simply to the fact that it stars Jemaine Clement. I think the guy is hilarious, even when he's not supposed to be, due mostly to his awkward demeanor, funny accent, and spot-on delivery. I'm a big fan of Flight of the Conchords and I love his movie Eagle vs Shark, so I knew I had to watch this one.

It's a bit of a romantic comedy, which I've never been a huge fan of, but I've seen a few that were really well done. This one is not particularly well done and feels sloppy and cheesy throughout. It won't make you cry or contemplate life or leave you thinking about it for long after the credits roll, but it's still entertaining enough to keep you watching, and Jemaine, as always, is hilarious and fun to watch.

This film tells the story of a newly divorced graphic novelist, and his life that juggles between work, his two daughters and sorting out his emotions for his ex-wife.

"People Places Things" is a natural story about real life people and real life events. Though people say they go to the cinemas to see what isn't ordinary, it's refreshing to see something real. The lead character, Will, is clearly surprised to see his wife in bed with another man. Interestingly, he doesn't show much emotions on the spot. Instead, he spends the next year working through his emotions, and be an even better father to his two young daughters. I enjoyed watching this film.

'PEOPLE PLACES THINGS': Three Stars (Out of Five)

Another comedy-drama flick; about an unconventional dad, learning to be a good parent. This one stars Jemaine Clement, and it was written and directed by James C. Strouse. The film costars Regina Hall, Jessica Williams, Stephanie Allynne, Michael Chernus, Aundrea Gadsby and Gia Gadsby. I found the movie to be funny, and very sweet, but nothing too memorable.

Clement plays a teacher, and aspiring graphic novelist, named Will Henry; who recently separated from his wife, Charlie (Allynne), on their daughters' (Aundrea and Gia Gadsby) fifth birthday. After explaining his recent divorce to his class; a student named Kat (Williams), sets him up on a blind date with her mother (Hall). The two don't immediately hit it off, but they slowly learn to like each other. Will tries to cope with this new relationship, while also getting over his failed one, and trying to be a better dad. He also learns to be a better teacher, and artist, in the process (of course).

It seems like we've seen this movie dozens of times before, but Clement is a very likable, and quirky, actor; so he's able to breathe new life into the material (to a certain extent). The rest of the cast is decent (Chernus is especially a scene-stealer) and the directing is adequate. The writing definitely could have been a little better though; most of the really good scenes seem mostly improvised (but I could be wrong). The film is pleasant, and humorous enough; for at least one viewing, I'd say.

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