Combustible Celluloid


New movie reviews, DVD reviews, interviews, and all things film.

 
Home | Archive | About | Blog | Lists | Links | E-mail me | Sign up for my weekly newsletter! |  
 



Dark Shadows ***
Darling Companion **1/2
God Bless America ***
Marvel's The Avengers ***1/2
ReGeneration ***
Sound of My Voice ***
The Pirates! Band of Misfits ***1/2
The Raven ***
Safe **1/2
The Lucky One 1/2*
4:44 Last Day on Earth **1/2
Blue Like Jazz **
The Cabin in the Woods ***1/2
Damsels in Distress ***1/2
Lockout **1/2
The Three Stooges ***
The Turin Horse ****
We Have a Pope **1/2
American Reunion **
Goon ***
More
 



Bird of Paradise
Maniac Cop
Miss Representation
Mother's Day (2012)
Murder Obsession
Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie
Underworld Awakening
The Vow
Clueless
Haywire
Hit!
Men in Black
New Year's Eve
The Red House
More
 

Film Features

Peter Lord
Abel Ferrara
Nicholas Sparks
Whit Stillman
Sean Hayes
Terence Davies
Peter Lord Interview
Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Taika Waititi
Will Ferrell
Interview: Ewan McGregor [SF Examiner]
Interview: the 'Project X' stars [SF Examiner]
Interview: Oren Moverman
Interview: Rachel McAdams
Interview: Ti West
Interview: Elizabeth Banks
2011: The Year's Best Films
Year's Best DVDs and Blu-Rays
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards
The Decade's Ten Best Films: 2000-2009
My Top 100 Films [Updated]
My Top 60 Directors [Updated]
Christmas Movies
Essential Halloween & Horror Movies
Cult Movies
More Features and Interviews
 

Film Books

Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas, by Alonso Duralde
Not Quite a Memoir: Of Films, Books, the World, by Judy Stone
James Agee: The Library of America Collection, by James Agee
Just Making Movies, by Ronald L. Davis
More Books
 



Home
Reviews A-C
Reviews D-F
Reviews G-J
Reviews K-M
Reviews N-Q
Reviews R-T
Reviews U-Z
 

The online film magazine Combustible Celluloid offers new movie reviews, DVD reviews, film reviews, actor interviews, actress interviews, director interviews, film books and all things cinema related for the thoughtful and passionate. Online for ten years! Over 3000 reviews!

 
SEARCH MOVIES / CELEB

Advanced Search

 
 
© 1997-2012 Combustible Celluloid



Happythankyoumoreplease (2011)

Rating: 2 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Take a Chance on Me

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

After several years on the hit TV show "How I Met Your Mother," Josh Radnor makes his feature writing and directing debut with this New York indie dramedy, and he also plays a writer, Sam. The movie suggests that Sam is good with short stories, but not so good with novels, and that's how this movie is. It plays well in little bursts, with some sharp dialogue to make things sound good, but the overall storylines and emotional threads don't really go very deep or very far.

Sam (Josh Radnor) lives in New York (in an apartment most likely too big for what he makes in his job), and is best friends with Annie (Malin Akerman). Annie works in an office and has an unnamed disease that has robbed her of her hair. She also suffers the aftermath of a series of loser boyfriends. Sam tries to rescue a lost boy, Rasheen (Michael Algieri), on the subway and ends up babysitting him for several days. At the same time, he meets and hits it off with bartender/singer Mississippi (Kate Mara), who agrees to a crazy plan to move in with Sam for three days. Meanwhile, Sam's "cousin" Mary Catherine (Zoe Kazan) is having issues with her longtime boyfriend, Charlie (Pablo Schreiber), who wants to move to Los Angeles for a job opportunity. Will everyone find love and happiness?

The movie smacks of cheap shortcuts, such as the use of the foster child Rasheed, used for laughs rather than for responsibility, or like the unnamed disease that has robbed Annie of her hair. Whenever it has nothing to say, it resorts to a sensitive song by an ironic singer/songwriter. While the performances are fine, the characters are fairly shallow, and it seems as if their happy endings come too quickly and too easily; they could probably have used a lot more work.


Buy DVD | Buy Blu-Ray | iTunes Download
Trailer | Poster
Bookmark and Share
With: Josh Radnor, Malin Akerman, Kate Mara, Michael Algieri, Zoe Kazan, Pablo Schreiber, Tony Hale, Peter Scanavino, Richard Jenkins
Written by: Josh Radnor
Directed by: Josh Radnor
MPAA Rating: R for language
Running Time: 100 minutes
Date: March 4, 2011
Please also see my more in-depth review at Common Sense Media
Home
New Movies
New DVDs & Blu-Ray
Features
News
Search Reviews
Classic Movies
Film Books
Gallery
Links
About
Contact
All scribblings © 1997-2012 Combustible Celluloid