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75 out of 98 people found the following review useful: Light fun with a surprise or two, 7 May 2008 Author: sioenroux from United States
I'm not much of a comedy fan, mostly because in recent years they've strayed too far into smart-ass one-liner dumb-formula potty-humor cardboard-cutout territory, which is fine if you like that sort of thing, but I don't.This, though, is an old-fashioned comedy with heart. Can Bill make his life better with the help of a precocious teen? Sure he can. But the way he gets there isn't just the standard formula, and that makes it a fun watch.It also helps that the technical work is all top-notch, and the supporting cast is pitch perfect, from the staid father-in-law to the somewhat manic doughnut franchisers.This isn't a movie that will make you guffaw and belly laugh for an hour and a half, but it does make you feel inspired and offers a few chuckles along the way. In that regard, it reminds me of "Charlie Bartlett," "Juno" and "Rocket Science."I'm glad this style of comedy didn't die out because of the Farrelly Brothers' success. Their kind of comedy is redundant and dumb -- this type leaves you happy for a while. And Hollywood should do that more often.
101 out of 189 people found the following review useful: The classic comedy is back, 20 September 2007 Author: larry-411 from United States
I attended the World Premiere of "Bill" at the Toronto International Film Festival. That fact alone is actually surprising to me, as my viewing habits tend to lean towards dramas, and this is anything but. In fact, festivals this year have been weighed down by heavy films that are about as dark as they come. "Bill" could not be more different, and what a refreshing change and much-needed uplift is this all-out, unabashed comedy. Co-directed by the husband-wife team of Bernie Goldmann and Melissa Wallack (who penned the script), "Bill" has all the elements required of the genre: characters to whom we can relate, a clever storyline, and laughs aplenty.Aaron Eckhart ("Any Given Sunday," "Erin Brockovich," "Thank You for Smoking") is Bill, smack dab in the middle of a life becoming all-too familiar. His job is falling apart (he begrudgingly works for his irascible father-in-law), his marriage is going to pieces, his body is going to pot, and, perhaps most horrifying, his hair is rejecting his head. Bill needs a change, fast, and is not-so-voluntarily signed up for a mentoring program at the local high school. He is teamed up with young Logan Lerman ("The Butterfly Effect," "Hoot," "3:10 to Yuma"), who plays The Kid, literally (Lerman's character is never identified by name), and the two join together in battle to fight the demons at the heart of Bill's midlife crisis.A magnificent ensemble cast including Elizabeth Banks, Timothy Olyphant, Jessica Alba, and Kristen Wiig (and far too many more to mention) are all up to the task of providing enough comedic fodder to fill several films. Discussing their characters in depth would be too revealing, and my policy is to allow the reader to find a synopsis elsewhere if desired. Ultimately the partnership between Bill and The Kid is what drives the story, and the chemistry between Eckhart and Lerman is central to the success of the film. And it works. The Kid is smart, streetwise, sexy (or so he thinks), and has the self-confidence of someone thrice his age. In short, he's everything Bill aspires to be. It's a role-reversal device that's at the heart of many classic comedies, and Wallack's brilliant writing makes it work.Despite being an independent film (read: low budget) "Bill" has the look of a Hollywood movie. The design is bright and the sound and editing give it a crisp, bouncy feel. Best of all, the cinematography with Peter Lyons Collister at the helm is second to none. He's one of the best in the business, a classic comedy veteran, and it shows.It's always hard to single anyone out in a fine ensemble cast but in both screenings I attended Lerman stole the show. He unquestionably got the biggest laughs and was the crowd favorite. I hesitate to call him a newcomer, as at the tender age of 15 he already has 10 movies and 23 television episodes under his belt, but he's one to watch for and has a bright career ahead of him. But this is Eckhart's film to make or break, and his sense of comedic timing and puppy-like ability to elicit just the right amount of empathy from the audience create those touching moments that leave the viewer wanting more. And so I attended the second screening as well, and enjoyed it even more. And that's the true test of a comedy. From this writer's perspective, "Bill" not only hits its mark but is also sure to be a winner for years to come.
16 out of 23 people found the following review useful: An enjoyable movie, 20 July 2008 Author: amalmer
I just watched Meet Bill last night, and while it wasn't fantastic, it was definitely worth the watch.This movie follows the main character Bill, who, after a series of downfalls, realizes life isn't going they way he wanted. He then offers to mentor a rich, self-assured high school student. In the end, the student more or less ends up mentoring Bill, and helps him to change his views on life.I thought the chemistry between Logan Lerman (the kid) and Aaron Eckhart (Bill) was fantastic! they both did a great job with their role, and stole the whole show. These roles were out of style for both actors--I've never seen Eckhart do comedy, and Lerman's character was much more rebellious than usual. It just shows the talent of both actors, especially the versatility of Lerman. The rest of the supporting characters were slightly under-developed.The style of comedy in this movie is more..."old school" in my opinion. It's not slap-stick or non-stop laughter, but the comedy is inter-weaved throughout the film, with several vary funny scenes and one-liners. I would say the film is geared toward audiences from the mid 20s to mid 40s. However, I am a 16 year old female, and I enjoyed the film.The plot does get lost a bit, and some characters are under-developed, but overall it's a good independent film. Is it the best or funniest movie you'll ever see? Probably not. But it delivers a style of comedy not found often these days, and if you connect with the style and the story, you will definitely like this movie.
7 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Pointless and bland, 7 September 2008 Author: elizabethnagroves from Canada
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I thought this movie was utterly terrible. It was completely unoriginal and there were so many superfluous characters and scenes that is was just ridiculous. What as the Jessica Alba character supposed to be? What was she supposed to add? The Kid character was pretty pointless also. There was an endless series of scenes that, I assume, were supposed to be funny, but added nothing to the narrative. There is this whole subplot where we are supposed to imagine that the Kid and Alba might have some romantic chemistry, but it is just ludicrous. Also, one of the major plot points is Bill trying to win back his wife. However, we never get a sense of why he would want to do this. After all, she is uniformly terrible to him throughout the movie, and he doesn't seem that into her, until it's convenient for the plot. If they had taken out some of the more pointless scenes (especially the one with the Kid dancing around in women's underwear--what was that about?), and spent more time exploring the relationship between the two leads, then it might have made more sense. Aaron Eckhart is a very talented actor, and did the best with the story he had. However, there was no saving this train wreck. I would say that it would benefit from better editing, but in all honesty, it would have to be edited to the point of non-existence to be improved. Largely, this movie seemed like a low-rent, cheap rehash of some of the themes from American Beauty, without any of the depth, humour, or intelligence. They had the repressed husband attempting to break free, the bitchy adulterous wife, and drug dealing rebellious teenage boy. What a waste of time, and in Eckhart's case, talent.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: How do I put this without offending the women here?, 5 November 2009 Author: Badda from United States
There's really no way so screw it, I'll be blunt. ONLY a female writer/director would consider it a satisfying story where on top of being shamelessly unfaithful, kicking around her husband, and behaving like a spoiled, entitled brat for the majority of the film, not only fails to redeem herself or receive any kind of come-uppance for being such a bitch, but is rewarded by her husband who simply gives her what we just watched him spend the entire movie working to acquire. WHO DOES THAT??? I literally came away from this wondering if emasculation was an intentional theme here. It's like watching this man get kicked in the balls for an hour and a half just to pull himself together (apparently by losing his gut and getting a haircut), give farewell hugs and kisses to all the ball-kickers and we're supposed to applaud this as his triumph.I spent the whole movie saying to myself "I know a woman wrote this... I know a woman wrote this..." I came on IMDb to check it out and guess what. Wrote AND co-directed! Not that there aren't female writers & directors who are excellent at what they do. Not that a female writer/director is obliged to write "for" a male audience. Not even that a female writer/director can't bring feminist sensibilities to her work. But was the writer/director here really so pro-female (or anti-male) that the main character isn't even allowed to give his cheating wife the telling-off and/or retribution that she'd been begging for the whole film? Am I the only one who feels this way? Or maybe I'm missing the point. If I am, maybe someone could help me understand. Because I can't imagine any man who would think this "works". And I can think of quite a few women who would agree.
9 out of 17 people found the following review useful: American Beauty Light, 21 July 2008 Author: siderite from Romania
Aaron Eckhart made this movie, as one of the previous comments said. Other than that, it was all a bit too awkward a movie to call well made. The story is pretty much about a middle aged guy discovering that his career choices make him miserable and how he find his way out without the violence and social satire in American Beauty.It is a decent comedy, not too bad as some suggested, but certainly not memorable. Jessica Alba plays a medium sized role and Elizabeth Banks looks totally hot.Bottom line: see it when you feel like watching a light movie, it will be more fun for people approaching middle age than for teens and it can be a great movie to watch with the wife.
Light hearted indie-film, 19 November 2009 Author: mhendersonny from New York
If you like Aaron Eckhart then you'll like this film. It's a departure from anything he's done in the past. Elizabeth Banks plays his wife, a beautiful, self obsessed, spoiled, rich bitch with no redeeming qualities except her looks and body. (It's VERY much the same role as she played in "The Baxter". She's really got this character type down and is carving a niche for herself in indie films.)As I watched this movie, I thought that it reminded me of those indie films that I loved from the late 90's and early 2000's and how they just don't make them like this anymore. I didn't laugh all the way through this movie, but there were places where I chuckled (considerably) and I did have a smirk on my face for a good bit of the movie. (Think "The Ex" but not as funny.)It a great Friday night, too tired to think, order a pizza and veg movie. And if you like indie films from a decade ago, then you'll be glad you rented this one.
nothing to rave about but has its moments, 8 November 2009 Author: Roland E. Zwick (magneteach@aol.com) from United States
Bill is in the midst of a full-blown midlife crisis. Not only is he stuck in a job he hates (a made-up position at his father-in-law's bank), but his wife is cheating on him with a local news reporter. Meanwhile, his potbelly seems to be expanding at an increasingly alarming rate, a condition brought on by the massive quantities of donuts and candy bars he consumes daily out of nervousness and force of habit. Bill can't seem to step out of the shadows of either his wife's dad or the brother whom everyone seems to think is brighter, more financially successful and more all-around "together" than Bill is. In fact, the one hope Bill has of turning his life around may well rest with an Alex Keating-type prep school student he's agreed to mentor as part of a program for entrepreneurial teens.Written and directed by Bernie Goldman and Melisa Walick, "Meet Bill" ranges from the hilarious to the mildly amusing - with just enough dull patches thrown in to keep us from raving too much over its virtues or letting it too much into our hearts. The screenplay is frequently sharp in its comic portrayal of middle-aged angst, but it also feels vaguely rudderless, undernourished and underdeveloped for much of the time.The real joy of the film lies in Aaron Eckhart's star turn as a man whose career and personal relationships clearly aren't what he'd hoped they'd be at this particular point in his life. He's nicely supported by Elizabeth Banks as his philandering wife; Logan Lerman as his preppie protégé; Jessica Alba as a lingerie salesgirl; Reed Diamond as his overly competitive gay brother-in-law; and SNL stars Kristen Wiig and Jason Sudeikis as donut-shop franchise owners who hope to go into business with Bill.And speaking of the entrepreneurial spirit, a veritable goldmine awaits anyone savvy enough to market that amazing belly-busting weight-loss program Bill uses to great effect towards the end of the film.
1 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Easy to see why this opened in a handful of theatres in April 2008 in USA, 2 December 2008 Author: Jay Harris (sirbossman6969@yahoo.com) from United States
This comedy opened in about 36 theatres in April 2008, across the US played for 2 weeks with low box results. Truthfully it may have been better if they released it directly to DVD.It stars Aaron Eckhart who is usually very good in the roles he takes,sorry to say he made an error with this movie.The other players come off somewhat better, Elizabeth Banks & Jessica Alba are quite good in there parts.The entire movie is saved from utter chaos by 2 things.First thing is delightful performance by 15 year old newcomer Logan Lerman, He is the bright lad Eckhart is mentoring. He may have a good future.The other saving grace are the 2 gay characters, for a welcome change they are not stereotypes. My personal feeling I would love to see an entire film featuring these 2 actors,they only are in a few short scenes but they and The young lad save this silly comedy from being an utter bomb.Ratings: **1/2 (out of 4) 67 points(out of 100) IMDb 6 (out of 10)
5 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Really good..., 12 October 2008 Author: KVolchok from Portugal
Bill or Meet Bill is one of the most entertaining movies I've seen lately and it goes a bit beyond entertainment... So, who is Bill? Bill is someone who suddenly realizes he has a miserable life, he's in his 40's married to a beautiful woman, but who is cheating on him,his body is seriously unfit which causes a major lack of confidence and self esteem and on top of that he hates his job and the fact that he is working to his father-in-law. Not hard to relate,right?Bill almost against his will ends up joining a mentoring program and becomes the mentor of a 15 year old kid and that's when it all starts.Obviously the kid turns out to be the real mentor in the relationship, he is smart, he is sexy, he is absolutely confident and like bill says in the end he has it all figured out. The cast is great, but Aaron Eckhart and Logan Lerman are undeniably amazing and so is their chemistry on screen. I am not sure what Eckhart does but the audience(myself included) always love his characters, just watch Thank You For Smoking. And Logan, wow, the kid is talented, he acts like he is 18, not 15 or 16.I have to mention the BEAUTIFUL Elizabeth Banks, she was very good in her role and of course,Jessica Alba, who lightened up the screen.Bill doesn't fit into comedy neither into drama .It has many elements of both genres and its exactly what a movie should be. Surprises me the poor rating...9/10
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