Brief Interviews With Hideous Men (2009/IFC Films/MPI DVD)
Picture: C+
Sound: B- Extras: C Film: C
When films try to take on the topic of relationships, so much
can go wrong, especially if you don’t know where to end the comedy and begin
the serious self-reflection. Actor John
Krasinski decided to write and direct Brief
Interviews With Hideous Men (2009, from David Foster Wallace’s writings)
and it is amazing how much of an anti-male film this male made.
Each interview subject spews a different complete
stereotype of men’s negative attitudes towards life and women, then does zero
to examine any of them, even with a good cast that includes Timothy Hutton,
Chris Messina, Max Minghella, Dominic Cooper, Bobby Cannavale, Christopher
Meloni, Josh Charles and Frankie Faison.
Then the dialogue has the dual problems of sounding too much like it is
written and everyone (especially when some kind of brilliant revelation that is
not is revealed) talking at and not too each other. This leaves the women trivialized, which only
compounds the many problems here.
Krasinski thought maybe he was doing Glengarry Glen Ross, but that is not a style that works at all with
this material, but there is still some talent involved and ambition to the
project. Too bad it fails.
The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is shocking
originated in real anamorphic 35mm Panavision, but this is still a soft
presentation and color can also be limited more than it should. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix has some surround
activity including the music score, but this is still more dialogue-based as
you would expect from the title. Extras include
a TV Spot, Trailer, Behind The Scenes piece and interview with Krasinski.
- Nicholas Sheffo
