Dir. Tod Williams
"First I have to live a little so I have something to write about."
This is a first on several occasions. This is the first movie I'll be reviewing that wasn't made within the last decade...it's the first movie I've been completely unfamiliar with before viewing it...and sadly, it's the first film I haven't enjoyed, which is going to make this review tougher.
The Adventures of Sebastian Cole is about a boy named Sebastian (Adrian Grenier) who fancies himself becoming a writer at some point, given he actually puts effort into it. This movie is presumably the years where he gets his material for writing, the adventure years, hence the title and the previous quote. In it we experience the very typical coming of age stories and warnings of loves, drugs, and sex...changes. Yeah, there's a slight twist here that is very interesting, and that is that Sebastian's step dad (Clark Gregg) very early on makes a rough decision to get a sex-change that has a huge impact on Sebastian's family and his relationship with his step-dad.
Clark Gregg plays Hank/Henrietta, Sebastian's step-father and is very good in the part, very believable without being over the top, which is a route this film could've taken rather easily. Thankfully they didn't. Adrien Grenier, who I'm only familiar with from Entourage, is also very good in his part as Sebastian, and together, he and Gregg have a great relationship on screen. It's always quite engaging to watch these guys (?) relationship as it develops and is genuinely heartbreaking at times.
And that's the best of what this film has to offer. Unfortunately, it brings with it some mediocre camera work, direction, and cinematography. It's not bad, but it's a far cry from being good, or memorable in the slightest. The characters are also thinly written, and it's clear from the get go how most of the arcs will pan out. The only truly fascinating character through and through is Clark Gregg's Hank/Henrietta. I've already said Grenier did well acting-wise, but the character of Sebastian is not only not engaging, but is completely unlikeable. I don't honestly see why anyone in the audience would route for his character in anything he does. He mopes, whines, cheats, lies, and lacks any aspirations other than to be a complete slacker. It'd be different if he was maybe a side-character or comic relief, but to have him as the main focus and to be asked to take the character seriously? Come on.
And I don't really hold it against this film, but I just want to say...pick a different song in all these films, Hollywood! No more "Where Is My Mind" by the Pixies, we all know it's a good song, stop using it in every other film!
I feel like I could just keep tearing more and more of this film apart, but in all honesty I didn't hate it. I just didn't really care for it, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The Adventures of Sebastian Cole isn't a bad or boring film, it's just not a very good or engaging one either. It's very uneven and the script could've used quite a bit of work. I guess the point of the film is to be a loose sort of look at the life of a writer before he made it, and it worked...if that writer put out pieces of fiction that I wouldn't want to read.
2 out of 5
Sad Face.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don't ever really think it was an AMAZING movie... However, for me, when I was a 15 year old "punk" it was a kind of a coming-of-age-antithesis to the frat boy frenzee of American Pie movies.
Yes, Clark Gregg was the best part of that movie. And I think I don't mind it's use of The Pixies for two reasons. 1 - it was 1999 and 2 - I saw it before Fight Club, which was the only other movie I had heard it in.
Great movie? No. Nostalgic? For me, yes.
Bogardus.
Bogardus!
ReplyDeleteThat was almost going to be the quote for this review, but I felt something more substantial should be up there.
You're not alone in digging this film, as there are rabid fans on IMDB, as I've learned, for me it just didn't strike a chord or resonate in any way. I couldn't relate to the rebellious child, as I would more closely to relate a Micheal Cera, Jason Biggs character...you know, the typical nerd in most films. And let's be honest in most cinema the punk is a hard sell, and someone who is hard to get behind, unless you are part of that crowd.
Clark Gregg was fantastic, and after seeing this film I definitely want to see more of his work, as I'm not TOO familiar with him.
And I've seen "Where is My Mind" used in those two films, Observe and Report, some commercials, and I know I've seen it at least one other movie. All have used to great effect, but now I feel it's time for Hollywood to move on, haha.
And all of this is coming from I guy who enjoyed Dead or Alive, along with several other completely crap flicks, so take everything with a lick of salt, not just a grain.