Cinema Arts Festival Houston got off to a strong start last night. Both screenings— Precious at the Angelika and Me and Orson Welles at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston —were virtual sellouts.
The MFAH was also home to a lively opening night scene, complete with red carpet and mostly local celebrities, such as Chloe Dao and Larry Dierker.
How many times have these two names appeared in the same sentence?
Director Richard Linklater was also on hand to present his film. Seen through the eyes of an impressionable teenager (Zac Ephron), Me and Orson Welles recounts the behind-the-scenes drama that accompanied the opening of Welles’ celebrated 1937 theater production of Julius Caesar.
As Welles, British actor Christian McCay gives a tour de force performance, and by the end of the film you’re convinced that you’re watching the great man himself.
After Linklater’s post-screeing Q &A, the crowd partied in front of the museum’s new acquisition, Frank Stella’s 50-foot-long Damascus Gate.
For his part, Linklater said he was “proud of Houston” (his hometown) for putting on a festival that “takes on the notion of film as art."
Richard Linklater on the set of "Me and Orson Welles"
Comedian Tim Robinson has gained a cult following thanks to series like Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave, in which his brand of cringe comedy is on full display. The former Saturday Night Live writer/performer has had a few small movie roles over the years, but he’s now getting his first starring role in the off-kilter Friendship.
Robinson plays Craig, a mild-mannered suburbanite with a wife, Tami (Kate Mara), and son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). Craig has a boring life that involves little more than going to his middle manager job while wearing the same clothes day after day, anticipating the next Marvel movie, and helping Tami out with her at-home floral business.
He gets a jolt of energy when Austin (Paul Rudd) moves into the neighborhood. The two men seem to hit it off, with Austin — a weatherman at a local TV channel — even taking Craig on a couple of impromptu adventures. But when Craig commits a couple of faux pas at a group gathering at Austin’s house, their bond starts to fracture.
Even though the film is written and directed by Andrew DeYoung, it’s clear that Robinson had a big influence on the style of comedy it features. There are no big set pieces with a slew of jokes coming one after another. Instead, the film forces the audience to try to vibe with the very particular type of wavelength it’s giving off, one that could almost be called anti-comedy for the way the laughs come out of left field.
The 100-minute film is full of random comedic moments, like Steven kissing Tami on the lips, Craig being obsessed with his plain brown clothes, a group sing-along, and more. More often than not, it’s the way Craig reacts to both normal and abnormal situations that gets the laughs. The character is needy and oblivious, two traits that combine to make many of his actions cringeworthy.
Perhaps most importantly for this type of movie, many things in the story go unexplained or don’t make sense. Seemingly crucial elements are brought up only to fade away just as quickly, while other parts that appeared to be throwaway sections get callbacks later in the film. DeYoung and Robinson are determined to keep the audience on their toes the entire time, never knowing what to expect next.
Robinson has the perfect face for a story like this, one that’s bland enough to blend into the background but memorable enough to sell the jokes. His demeanor is also excellent, never becoming too expressive, even when he gets angry. With long hair, a mustache, and a certain swagger, Rudd is a great complement to Robinson. Only in a film like this would an everyman like Rudd be considered the suave and cool one.
There will be some that will see Friendship and come away wondering what the hell they just watched. But anyone who goes in knowing that they’re about to witness a comedy that challenges their sensibilities will likely have a great time.
