Jon Cole writes: I can respect a movie that focuses on characters far more easily than I can one that focuses on plot. There's something intrinsically pleasing and human about getting to know someone through the lens of a projected screen. It gives you a baseline to build a foundation of a movie experience, whereas a focus on plot tends to have several points of friction. Of course, almost any effective piece of cinematic art depends on both characterization and plot to capture the attention of its viewers.
CPC:
The coming-of-age comedy It’s Kind of a Funny Story, starring Zach Galifianakis, Keir Gilchrist (United States of Tara) and Emma Roberts (Valentine’s Day), has received a home release date from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The movie will hit DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download on February 8, 2011.
Drunk on Judgement: Zach Galifianakis is on fire, but it seems he still enjoys coming back to smaller roles. Although It’s Kind of a Funny Story was advertised nationally, in my town, it was only shown at the local independent theatre. It’s Kind of a Funny Story is a teen drama at heart, but Galifianakis brings enough to the table to keep everyone else entertained.
CB - Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck heard this a lot as they did press for their new film, but it's true: It's Kind of a Funny Story, which opened last Friday, is a big shift for the directors of Half-Nelson and Sugar, not just in scale and content, but in the simple fact that it employs a cast of actual, trained actors. Boden and Fleck became indie darlings for their verite, very serious previous films, which tackled topics as different as a drug-addicted teacher in Brooklyn and a Dominican kid who moves to the United States to become a baseball player.
