I guess, I could just write what I hate about the movie: the main characters are unbelievable in all the bad ways. The guy is a spineless worm of a person, who we are supposed to think has grown somehow during the movie and the girl is a crazy person with no social awareness at all and on top of that, has not the slightest knowledge about her own body. She is just a crazy stupid person. Of course, to somehow try to justify the guy's selfish manipulative, but spineless behaviour, the third person, his girlfriend, has to be a cold control freaky b****. What do we learn from this movie: if a person is neat and loves having a tidy place, he must be a cold hearted control freak and that person is bad. But if someone is behaving like a stupid pre- teen child and behaving against all common sense, that person must be a nice fun person. And if a guy is spineless and weak, that poor thing is just being manipulated by the bad witches, that are woman. He's just a confused little puppy, that needs a hug. I would like to see a movie, where these characters are tortured to death slowly and painful, just as the viewers of this movie are tortured by these unbelievably horrible characters and script.
16 Reviews
Love ... not in the air for sure
kosmasp23 May 2021
It is quite hard to connect to someone who is ... not honest to say the least. We get to learn two individuals who have fun together ... but you know that fun can become something more. Sexual intercourse is exhausting but also rewarding. Well if two individuals have either an understanding or love each other.
Sometimes love does not have to exist. But what if the woman might get pregnant? Not a good thing or something the male can live up to? It is quite the journey and quite the "mission" the male goes through. But again, how are we supposed to feel with him? On the other hand, the female has some issues too. Still she is more reliable than him - him I do not believe a word.
Maybe I'm wrong you say? Maybe so - you have to watch to find out. A low budget effort with a lot of craziness ... but a movie that is quite decent overall to say the least too. Something that cannot be said about our two main characters.
Sometimes love does not have to exist. But what if the woman might get pregnant? Not a good thing or something the male can live up to? It is quite the journey and quite the "mission" the male goes through. But again, how are we supposed to feel with him? On the other hand, the female has some issues too. Still she is more reliable than him - him I do not believe a word.
Maybe I'm wrong you say? Maybe so - you have to watch to find out. A low budget effort with a lot of craziness ... but a movie that is quite decent overall to say the least too. Something that cannot be said about our two main characters.
Please don't waste your time
qnofhrtz27 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
DAMN YOU NETFLIX!!! This was recommended to me by Netflix, and after ignoring it for a few months I finally decided to give it a try. Bad idea. The characters in this movie are not likable and the story is unbelievable.
During a one-night stand Fred is kind of manipulated by Mindy into going without a condom, and then literally held in place, which leads to the necessity of the morning after pill. Mindy, in the beginning, is completely neurotic, appears to be a pathological liar, and proceeds to fight Fred every step of the way. They end up spending a very strange day together in which nothing happens to make the viewer think Mindy is anything other than crazy. Fred starts out as a guy who is being manipulated, changes into a guy who can't seem to be honest and forthright, and eventually settles into a cheater (still a doormat and way too concerned that no one think he's a bad guy).
All in all the writing and progression were awful, it is inconceivable that these people end up together, and this is in no way romantic or comedic. The directing wasn't too bad.
During a one-night stand Fred is kind of manipulated by Mindy into going without a condom, and then literally held in place, which leads to the necessity of the morning after pill. Mindy, in the beginning, is completely neurotic, appears to be a pathological liar, and proceeds to fight Fred every step of the way. They end up spending a very strange day together in which nothing happens to make the viewer think Mindy is anything other than crazy. Fred starts out as a guy who is being manipulated, changes into a guy who can't seem to be honest and forthright, and eventually settles into a cheater (still a doormat and way too concerned that no one think he's a bad guy).
All in all the writing and progression were awful, it is inconceivable that these people end up together, and this is in no way romantic or comedic. The directing wasn't too bad.
A fun movie to watch with your friends
queen_abbiedala13 April 2013
The title, along with the film cover are both pretty self explanatory. It may sound like a cliché type movie but once you give it a chance, you find it is not as bad as you would have thought. It provides many laughs but there are some heart touching moments as well. It's not so much like 'No Strings Attached' or 'Friends With Benefits' kind of deal. It's more of them wanting to prevent any problems in the aftermath of sex then just having sex and leaving it at that. I also liked how the stars were more of smaller known actors and not big Hollywood celebrities. It put more of a shine on them. Noah Bean and Rachel Boston are fantastic together. You can feel the chemistry between them from beginning to end. This may not be an award winning film, but hey not all of them have to be. It is a perfect fit if you're home with your friends and you just want to have a good laugh.
Not one redeemable quality in these characters
spimpernel3 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Cringe-worthy the entire time. He sticks it in the crazy. Well, technically, she rapes him. And refuses to stop to put on a condom. Because, hey, what's more fun that getting pregnant or an STD after a one-night stand? He hangs out with her for an entire day to make sure she takes both pills, but can't tell her this because, oh yeah, she's crazy. She tricks him into going to the apartment she shared with her ex, who is devastated over her breaking up with him (so every time she whines about how she's getting over a long relationship, it's a put-on). She tricks him into meeting her family, in which her father insults him every minute (and yeah, I understood the French dialog). Turns out Fred has a girlfriend. Girlfriend insists they adopt a cat even though he is allergic and their lease won't allow it. She is a witch-with-a-B and kinda crazy too. She cheats on him, too, don't waste your sympathy. He breaks up with her. Finally, a scene where something goes right. Then he runs over to crazy-chick's apartment. A scene in which I lose all hope for this movie. But wait! She wasn't there! He hasn't seen her in 5 weeks. He sees her on the street and charms her phone number out of her. Apparently crazy is contagious.
A senseless movie in which every character is an arsehole
nadine-angel-1673222 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
******* contain some Spoilers *******
I normally don't write movie reviews, but this movie is so terrible that I just have to warn others.
There are three main characters in this movie: Fred (an extremely dishonest, manipulative and selfish cheater who want's to be seen as a ''good guy'') Mindy (a crazy, manipulative, selfish, borderline and hysterical woman) and Nelly (A cheater who counts condoms). In short: all three of them are ass-holes.
Now, Fred and Nelly are in a live-in relationship, and Fred thinks that Nelly treat him as his personal assistant because she keeps asking him for favors. And he, being an selfish ass-hole, dislikes doing favors for her. He also thinks that she is a control-freak, because she asks him not to walk around the apartment with his shoes on. But being the manipulative coward that he is, he doesn't got the guts to have an honest conversation with Nelly about it. Instead, he secretly 'rebels' against Nelly by cheating on her with a lunatic named Mindy. This lunatic tries to con him into a relationship with her by becoming pregnant - although they've just met and don't even know each other! And just as a side note - Mindy says she is a'catholic' and therefore believes in sleeping around with each and everybody without taking an after pill!!! Then she drags him around and introduce him to her crazy family as her 'boyfriend'. And Fred thinks that all this annoying insanity is 'the best day in his life' and he falls in love with this devious creature called Mindy. So, he leaves his 'controlling' girlfriend because the controlling, needy, crazy, devious, manipulative, hysterical, borderline, selfish, phony, hypocritical, shallow, promiscuous and bad- mannered MINDY is so much better!So basically, he left a 'control-freak who doesn't respect him' for another control-freak who doesn't respect him. This is really where this movie became so senseless and annoying that I stopped caring about what's going to happen to these scum-bags. To hell with Fred and Mindy, the two devious frauds who really do deserve each other. And the director Khoury who thinks that being a lunatic is the same as being a ''free-spirit''. Everyone in this movie, including the director, needs serious mental help.
In short, don't waste your time on this rotten movie. You would hate to meet devious frauds like Mindy and Fred in real life, so don't waste your time on watching them on a TV-Screen. This is seriously the worst movie ever.
I normally don't write movie reviews, but this movie is so terrible that I just have to warn others.
There are three main characters in this movie: Fred (an extremely dishonest, manipulative and selfish cheater who want's to be seen as a ''good guy'') Mindy (a crazy, manipulative, selfish, borderline and hysterical woman) and Nelly (A cheater who counts condoms). In short: all three of them are ass-holes.
Now, Fred and Nelly are in a live-in relationship, and Fred thinks that Nelly treat him as his personal assistant because she keeps asking him for favors. And he, being an selfish ass-hole, dislikes doing favors for her. He also thinks that she is a control-freak, because she asks him not to walk around the apartment with his shoes on. But being the manipulative coward that he is, he doesn't got the guts to have an honest conversation with Nelly about it. Instead, he secretly 'rebels' against Nelly by cheating on her with a lunatic named Mindy. This lunatic tries to con him into a relationship with her by becoming pregnant - although they've just met and don't even know each other! And just as a side note - Mindy says she is a'catholic' and therefore believes in sleeping around with each and everybody without taking an after pill!!! Then she drags him around and introduce him to her crazy family as her 'boyfriend'. And Fred thinks that all this annoying insanity is 'the best day in his life' and he falls in love with this devious creature called Mindy. So, he leaves his 'controlling' girlfriend because the controlling, needy, crazy, devious, manipulative, hysterical, borderline, selfish, phony, hypocritical, shallow, promiscuous and bad- mannered MINDY is so much better!So basically, he left a 'control-freak who doesn't respect him' for another control-freak who doesn't respect him. This is really where this movie became so senseless and annoying that I stopped caring about what's going to happen to these scum-bags. To hell with Fred and Mindy, the two devious frauds who really do deserve each other. And the director Khoury who thinks that being a lunatic is the same as being a ''free-spirit''. Everyone in this movie, including the director, needs serious mental help.
In short, don't waste your time on this rotten movie. You would hate to meet devious frauds like Mindy and Fred in real life, so don't waste your time on watching them on a TV-Screen. This is seriously the worst movie ever.
A hard pill to swallow !
redx170816 October 2016
Somebody should have taken a pill instead of giving birth to this movie. A romantic comedy needs certain ingredients to Work. 1) It needs to be romantic. 2) It needs to be funny once in a while. 3) It needs characters that that we can care about. Sadly it fails on all counts. The main character, (awful acting by the way), is to put it mildly not very likable and it remains a mystery why she fell for him in the first place. I mean the guy has 2 facial expressions. A nervous smile with lots of teeth and another that probably is supposed to look panicked. There's virtually no plot at all except his attempts to get her to take the pill. The woman does slightly better with her part. Actually showing a bit of character, but the script doesn't give her much to Work with. Waste of time !!
Hard to swallow for some, but not a burden for many
StevePulaski3 June 2012
This is a side note to big budget romantic comedies that are in favor of pumping up the idiocy and the incredulity in their scripts. Instead of being a mawkish and gooey portrayal of modern relationships, The Pill is another romantic comedy exploring the dangers and the repercussions of having a one night stand. This topic was also explored in Katie Astelon's directorial effort The Freebie in 2010, a rather ho-hum and middling effort in the area of infidelity. It seems The Pill has simple kinks ironed out more efficiently.
We are instantly introduced to Fred (Bean), a writer who despite having a tolerable relationship, seeks to have a one night stand with a woman he recently met while his girlfriend is on a trip. Fred hooks up with Mindy (Boston), a quirky, Zooey Deschanel-like woman, full of complexities and eccentricities. After having unprotected sex so quaintly, Fred foolishly assumes that Mindy is on the pill, when she is not. Stressed out and, after a hasty conversation involving ethics dictated by religion, Fred goes out to buy her the morning-after pill.
After she takes the one, Fred neglects to remember that the morning-after pill is two pills, one for as soon as intercourse is over and the other twelve hours later. Since Mindy was so troubled by taking the one, getting her to take the other seems like a mission impossible. Knowing that she is not the most trustworthy person, Fred winds up sticking around with Mindy for the next twelve hours to assure that she will take the pill. Inevitably, they become closer, but Fred also must remember the budding quandary he is facing with his current girlfriend, Nelly (Anna Chlumsky, the My Girl actress), a pushy, vindictive soul.
One of the film's funniest and brightest scenarios is when Mindy invites Fred over to her parents' house to celebrate her younger brother's birthday. Immediately, Fred has a contentious relationship with Mindy's father, who believes that he is unwise for not having a backup plan in case journalism fails him.
The Pill manages to do quite a few things right with its very concise runtime. It introduces us to three characters, whose lives will eventually change because of this seemingly innocuous one night stand. It also does the best to make the Fred character, a person who initially wouldn't be a smart choice to make the leading man because of his indecisive personality and rather unlikable first impression, into a relatable man we can feel for, while also projecting life into the other two women in the film. As for the "comedy" in the term "romantic comedy," it is mainly deadpan wit that audiences may or may not collectively resonate with. Exposure to programs like The Office or Curb Your Enthusiasm, because of the quirky scenarios that inevitably erect a domino effect, could possibly help. Or just an open mind, with a craving for difference.
Director J.C. Khoury does a lot of great things with his first feature film, one of which is making the film avoid romantic comedy pitfalls such as glossy sentimentality, hardcore romanticism, and cinematic clichés, and also doesn't go for the extreme indie mumblecore style that could propel into heavy-handedness. This is simply a well made romantic comedy, sharp, lively, and full of enigma that will easily resonate with the audience and provide a healthy discussion afterwards.
Starring: Noah Bean, Rachel Boston, and Anna Chulmsky. Directed by: J.C. Khoury.
We are instantly introduced to Fred (Bean), a writer who despite having a tolerable relationship, seeks to have a one night stand with a woman he recently met while his girlfriend is on a trip. Fred hooks up with Mindy (Boston), a quirky, Zooey Deschanel-like woman, full of complexities and eccentricities. After having unprotected sex so quaintly, Fred foolishly assumes that Mindy is on the pill, when she is not. Stressed out and, after a hasty conversation involving ethics dictated by religion, Fred goes out to buy her the morning-after pill.
After she takes the one, Fred neglects to remember that the morning-after pill is two pills, one for as soon as intercourse is over and the other twelve hours later. Since Mindy was so troubled by taking the one, getting her to take the other seems like a mission impossible. Knowing that she is not the most trustworthy person, Fred winds up sticking around with Mindy for the next twelve hours to assure that she will take the pill. Inevitably, they become closer, but Fred also must remember the budding quandary he is facing with his current girlfriend, Nelly (Anna Chlumsky, the My Girl actress), a pushy, vindictive soul.
One of the film's funniest and brightest scenarios is when Mindy invites Fred over to her parents' house to celebrate her younger brother's birthday. Immediately, Fred has a contentious relationship with Mindy's father, who believes that he is unwise for not having a backup plan in case journalism fails him.
The Pill manages to do quite a few things right with its very concise runtime. It introduces us to three characters, whose lives will eventually change because of this seemingly innocuous one night stand. It also does the best to make the Fred character, a person who initially wouldn't be a smart choice to make the leading man because of his indecisive personality and rather unlikable first impression, into a relatable man we can feel for, while also projecting life into the other two women in the film. As for the "comedy" in the term "romantic comedy," it is mainly deadpan wit that audiences may or may not collectively resonate with. Exposure to programs like The Office or Curb Your Enthusiasm, because of the quirky scenarios that inevitably erect a domino effect, could possibly help. Or just an open mind, with a craving for difference.
Director J.C. Khoury does a lot of great things with his first feature film, one of which is making the film avoid romantic comedy pitfalls such as glossy sentimentality, hardcore romanticism, and cinematic clichés, and also doesn't go for the extreme indie mumblecore style that could propel into heavy-handedness. This is simply a well made romantic comedy, sharp, lively, and full of enigma that will easily resonate with the audience and provide a healthy discussion afterwards.
Starring: Noah Bean, Rachel Boston, and Anna Chulmsky. Directed by: J.C. Khoury.
Unfortunately I can't take a pill to forget this movie.
janson-ellen8 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I should have gone with my gut instinct and avoided this movie but Netflix kept rubbing it in my face so here we are. I'm going to give you the short version and the long.
The short: it's really bad, don't watch it.
Now, for the long version: I'm going to break this up into categories because I'm a neat freak and that is what I do.
Characters: He's an arsehole. She's an arsehole. Everyone is an arsehole. The little brother might not be one, he didn't get enough screen time for my arseholery-ometer to give a reading. Oh, and Jim is alright. He's just hurt but I'd say he dodged a bullet! Mindy is presented as some crazy woman, whom you expect to change and with whom you might side in the end, but no, the very last frame and I still think she's unpleasant and rude (not to mention sexually and psychologically manipulative, and if truth be told a rapist but I'll get to that). Fred (terrible name for a character! A very non-name for a very non-person) is just too worried people might think he isn't the nice guy (which he in fact isn't). They're all bad.
Plot: Really? Like, really really? If someone started having sex with me whilst I was asleep I'd get the hell out of there and go to the police because that is rape! Sex without consent is rape! Also, ignoring the fact that he wanted to use a condom is unacceptable. This put me off the entire movie! Get it together writers!
Cinematography and staging: New York in the summer? Check. Nice but not too posh flats? Check. Montage of the couple laughing and touching? Always having a cab show up at the right time? Running in the middle of the street with complete disregard of personal safety? Check. Check. Check.
Really what I want to tell you all is: don't watch this movie. I watched it on Netflix during my free month trial so I didn't pay anything and I still want my money back. I refer you back to my short version: it's really bad, don't watch it.
The short: it's really bad, don't watch it.
Now, for the long version: I'm going to break this up into categories because I'm a neat freak and that is what I do.
Characters: He's an arsehole. She's an arsehole. Everyone is an arsehole. The little brother might not be one, he didn't get enough screen time for my arseholery-ometer to give a reading. Oh, and Jim is alright. He's just hurt but I'd say he dodged a bullet! Mindy is presented as some crazy woman, whom you expect to change and with whom you might side in the end, but no, the very last frame and I still think she's unpleasant and rude (not to mention sexually and psychologically manipulative, and if truth be told a rapist but I'll get to that). Fred (terrible name for a character! A very non-name for a very non-person) is just too worried people might think he isn't the nice guy (which he in fact isn't). They're all bad.
Plot: Really? Like, really really? If someone started having sex with me whilst I was asleep I'd get the hell out of there and go to the police because that is rape! Sex without consent is rape! Also, ignoring the fact that he wanted to use a condom is unacceptable. This put me off the entire movie! Get it together writers!
Cinematography and staging: New York in the summer? Check. Nice but not too posh flats? Check. Montage of the couple laughing and touching? Always having a cab show up at the right time? Running in the middle of the street with complete disregard of personal safety? Check. Check. Check.
Really what I want to tell you all is: don't watch this movie. I watched it on Netflix during my free month trial so I didn't pay anything and I still want my money back. I refer you back to my short version: it's really bad, don't watch it.
Indie smugness
ZeroXTML17 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
So a clearly drunk couple swagger into their room, about to have sex when the girl (Mindy) falls asleep before they can. They guy (Fred) figures "whatever" and goes to sleep as well. Only to be woken up in the middle of the night when a now-conscious Mindy mounts (totally kinda rapes) him. As they're about to finish, Fred wants to pull out since he doesn't have a condom, she says "just do it it's fine" and even grabs him by the waist to prevent him from pulling out in case he was having any of those pesky "I don't want to ruin the rest of my life" thoughts. So next morning, she admits she's not on birth control and has no plan on taking Plan B because "she's Catholic". So while clearly willing to ignore the part of her religion against drunken premarital sex with people you've known less than a day, she chooses to be really pious about adhering to an aspect of her religion that might "persuade" a man to stay with her and raise a child in the same way a kidnapper might "persuade" a family to give him money for their child back.
So Fred spends the whole day with her trying to get her to take the other part of her plan B pill, and what "endearing" revelations does he learn about this girl along the way? Is it that she has already told her parents about her new "boyfriend" even though they've known each other less than a day? Is it that she fully expects to marry this stranger and raise the child if she is pregnant? Is it that you can apparently ignore signs of borderline personality disorder with the help of an indie acoustic soundtrack? Yes! I know what you're thinking though, "but Ryan, do they goof around in a kitchen while making food while ANOTHER indie soundtrack plays in the background?" Why yes, handsome reader, they in fact, do. "Oh. Well that doesn't make this girl any less irrational or ticking uterine time bomb of Lorena Bobbit proportions and I feel like someone in the movie should have pointed that out". Right again reader! You correctly arrived at that conclusion because your parents didn't hold you under water for 12 minutes when you were a toddler.
There's no likable character in the movie. Mindy is irrational, a compulsive liar, clingy, hypocritical, selfish, she deflects any piece of relevant constructive criticism by intentionally interpreting it as an insult, and she's emotional to a degree that makes me think she is the byproduct of some horrible government experiment to personify what Rush Limbaugh thinks the condensed essence of estrogen is. Fred looks like is Adam Scott and Tom Cruise had a child and inherited only their negative personality traits. He's weak willed, a liar, a cheater and so quickly taken in by Mindy's frizzy haired insanity that I feel like he's the worlds fastest example of Stockholm Syndrome. If Fred were a Jew in the Holocaust, he'd be the guy sitting in Auschwitz going "you know, maybe the Nazi's aren't that bad" after his first week. But hey, before you think that Fred is the bad guy for cheating it's revealed :SPOILER: his girlfriend had cheated on him too! So that means it's okay, right? Of course she admits this only after he says he cheated on her and that he intends to stay with Mindy (because "free spirited" and "emotional train wreck" are the same things in Fred's vocabulary) and up until that point she seemed to be an agreeable enough person who's main flaw is easily her taste in men. Come on, you know the old saying "2 wrongs and a bipolar mess make for a happy relationship in which there can be no possible negative repercussions that even Stevie Wonder could see"
So Fred spends the whole day with her trying to get her to take the other part of her plan B pill, and what "endearing" revelations does he learn about this girl along the way? Is it that she has already told her parents about her new "boyfriend" even though they've known each other less than a day? Is it that she fully expects to marry this stranger and raise the child if she is pregnant? Is it that you can apparently ignore signs of borderline personality disorder with the help of an indie acoustic soundtrack? Yes! I know what you're thinking though, "but Ryan, do they goof around in a kitchen while making food while ANOTHER indie soundtrack plays in the background?" Why yes, handsome reader, they in fact, do. "Oh. Well that doesn't make this girl any less irrational or ticking uterine time bomb of Lorena Bobbit proportions and I feel like someone in the movie should have pointed that out". Right again reader! You correctly arrived at that conclusion because your parents didn't hold you under water for 12 minutes when you were a toddler.
There's no likable character in the movie. Mindy is irrational, a compulsive liar, clingy, hypocritical, selfish, she deflects any piece of relevant constructive criticism by intentionally interpreting it as an insult, and she's emotional to a degree that makes me think she is the byproduct of some horrible government experiment to personify what Rush Limbaugh thinks the condensed essence of estrogen is. Fred looks like is Adam Scott and Tom Cruise had a child and inherited only their negative personality traits. He's weak willed, a liar, a cheater and so quickly taken in by Mindy's frizzy haired insanity that I feel like he's the worlds fastest example of Stockholm Syndrome. If Fred were a Jew in the Holocaust, he'd be the guy sitting in Auschwitz going "you know, maybe the Nazi's aren't that bad" after his first week. But hey, before you think that Fred is the bad guy for cheating it's revealed :SPOILER: his girlfriend had cheated on him too! So that means it's okay, right? Of course she admits this only after he says he cheated on her and that he intends to stay with Mindy (because "free spirited" and "emotional train wreck" are the same things in Fred's vocabulary) and up until that point she seemed to be an agreeable enough person who's main flaw is easily her taste in men. Come on, you know the old saying "2 wrongs and a bipolar mess make for a happy relationship in which there can be no possible negative repercussions that even Stevie Wonder could see"
What made anyone think this movie was worth making
Jackbv1233 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The plot is ridiculous. That is the funniest part of the movie - the stupid sequence of circumstances. I certainly don't remember laughing at any lines. The characters are not likable at all. As for Fred, if his lips are moving he is lying. And his live-in girlfriend is out of town, so he has a one night stand. He spends almost all of the movie manipulating Mindy so she won't be pregnant. And all this time spent with Mindy is while his live-in girlfriend is texting him constantly that she is on the way home. Mindy is just plain nutty and in my opinion not too bright. She doesn't care that she had unprotected sex neither fearing STD's nor that it took place right in the middle of her fertile cycle. She apparently recently had sex with another man not too long prior to Fred because a used condom is on top of the trash in her bathroom. Apparently she isn't entirely truthful either. But Mindy might be a little likable in a sweet, affectionate sort of way. Fred's live-in girlfriend is even meaner than Fred, but her screen time is so much less than either of the other two, she really had to pour it on in the time she had to display her mean and manipulative side. The writers seem to have no problem with a woman taking sex from a man with either no consent, or half-hearted consent. They also can't seem to find any funny dialogue.
I only watched this movie and stuck with it because I like Rachel Boston. Poor woman had little to work with in this script and got to show very little of her usual sunny disposition. There were a few scenes of the two people "having fun", but Rachel had to try too hard to make that impression and it really didn't work very well. As for Noah Bean, he had only one mode through the entire film and it wasn't happy.
As another person commented, usually a Romantic comedy has romance. Not this one. Sex, yes but with clothes on, and no romance.
I only watched this movie and stuck with it because I like Rachel Boston. Poor woman had little to work with in this script and got to show very little of her usual sunny disposition. There were a few scenes of the two people "having fun", but Rachel had to try too hard to make that impression and it really didn't work very well. As for Noah Bean, he had only one mode through the entire film and it wasn't happy.
As another person commented, usually a Romantic comedy has romance. Not this one. Sex, yes but with clothes on, and no romance.
watchable, but too woody allen copycatting
rightwingisevil20 February 2013
when you watch this film, you'd immediately find that the main male character's way of delivering his dialog is way too much alike woody allen in all of his movies. a constant uncertain, unsure, self-doubt, self-righteous, thinking-by-mouth blabbering, the way he talks, even the gestures, the facial expressions are all transformed into woody allen alike. his impotent way to deal with women, the relationship, the long suffering under the strong-will woman, the sudden found charm when he meets gentle kind woman, the stammering when he has to lie, to convince and to persuade, to ensure the woman he falls for are exactly like what woody allen did in all of his films, the only difference is the young guy does not have a bald head and a pair of eye glasses. the whole film is watchable but not good enough to be remembered or deemed as a great movie; pills or no pills, taking promptly or following directory.
The Pill Review
Spideyfan-963-2462158 September 2016
The Pill(2011) Starring: Noah Bean, Rachel Boston, Anna Chlumsky, Jean Brassard, S. Lue McWilliams, Steve Routman, Julia Royter, Jack Tartaglia, Al Thompson, and Dreama Walker Directed By: J.C. Khoury Review Hello everyone your pal the cupid critic here to tell you about why you should use a condom, you won't make a shitty love story like this one. The film is about Fred being worried that he has gotten the free- spirited Mindy pregnant after an unprotected one-night stand, Fred feigns romantic interest and sticks by her side for twelve hours to make sure she takes both doses of the morning-after pill. If this film any intentional goals of being something good, it fails cause this is most uneventful and boring love story. It's not even that funny. Which makes it harder to sit through. The characters I don't remember and I just finished watching it this second. Only Fred the dumb-ass who is unsuccessful at putting on a condom and thus you have your very boring and uneventful love story. The story is not interesting if anything it feels forced upon. They do this for the sake of the plot, which contemplates to this and this. The movie convenience and plot device after another, this movie didn't need to happen, I mean it was so dang boring I need to listen to my love songs to stay awake. The direction is pretty okay, J.C Khoury does a fine job with shot but fails in getting good performances out of his actors. They all look like rejects for a soap opera. None of the elements in a good film are present, is J.C Khpoury's shots good? yes, but that doesn't make the film any less boring, tedious, stupid and uneventful. I'm giving THE PILL a half out of five.
Cute and fun
missraze3 May 2017
...I think people are doing just too much when it comes to criticizing this movie.
So what if the characters aren't likable? Well I wouldn't say "so what" because character development is important, but I think Fred and Mindy are meant to be "normal," with a quirky, indie twist. And "normally"...people do have one night stands and wind up pregnant, unfortunately. This film is a comedic perspective of real life. And it's kind of a chic, urban adventure.
I just love the roaming around New York City this film has, reminds me of...me. And I like seeing it on screen, what the hell. I also like that it's set in a summery time, so it's bright and fun and ironic to how dark this probably could be.
I mean I'd punch Fred in real life. He follows Mindy around pretending to like her just to make sure she takes both doses of a morning after pill. And why? Because he's married or in a long-term relationship. It shows two different types of New York lives: Fred is from the intellectual, upper classed part, with a self-centred, jet-setting girlfriend in a big fancy condo or studio apartment it looked like, and Mindy is on a working class budget with a black boyfriend in a small apartment in Brooklyn.
Now I have no idea why Mindy wanted to have Fred's child but based on my description it seems she wants his status through his child? I don't know. I think the director just wanted to portray girls who wind up pregnant after one night stands as bonkers and manipulative who try to pass it off as feminism. Maybe it's his version of modern city girls, as the New York backdrop was utilized a lot and very well so perhaps this setting was done intentionally, or convenient considering it's where the director lived... But it was done in a funny way, and it's a comedy! So it worked.
Anyway I hated Fred, LOVED the guy playing him. I'm not sure if it was improvising the script or what. But he was funny. Sometimes the script seemed like they were improvising with some direction on where the conversation should go, like very realistic dialogue (stuttering, petty back and forths, laughs, vulgar social commentary), so on that level to film snobs it could've looked amateur acting-wise but pretty good direction wise. But I enjoyed it because it was realistic.
The elements were great as I mentioned, the background scenery of New York City, being on the subway-train (a big must in big-city indie films for me), strutting and skipping through big crowds, going to small cafes, convenience stores and pharmacies, apartments with cute and artsy interior decoration (they used the director's apartment for Mindy's apartment), it was all so nice. Their stylish- casual wardrobe. The soundtrack was enjoyable, like atmospheric, bubbly indie music. All these things subtly but hugely make the film, for me. So it's an enjoyable watch. Albeit with flaws. I loved the last scene, I would've done the same thing as Mindy when she saw Fred if not worse.
Long story short: the only flaws, for me, was developing Mindy's character. I simply don't understand why she loved Fred so fast and intentionally had his kid but hey girls like this do exist. I also don't like Fred but I think focusing on him as a character too much is unnecessary to critiquing the film as a whole. The things I liked: the setting, Fred's script and the actor playing him, the theme (it's interesting). The pace was good. It's not a boring film at all. If you're into films just to fall in love with the characters/actors and ignore how well a film was put together or not, then this isn't for you. If you can understand the reality of character flaws but appreciate important film elements like plot, script, setting, angles, music, originality yet reality, then this is for you! :D
So what if the characters aren't likable? Well I wouldn't say "so what" because character development is important, but I think Fred and Mindy are meant to be "normal," with a quirky, indie twist. And "normally"...people do have one night stands and wind up pregnant, unfortunately. This film is a comedic perspective of real life. And it's kind of a chic, urban adventure.
I just love the roaming around New York City this film has, reminds me of...me. And I like seeing it on screen, what the hell. I also like that it's set in a summery time, so it's bright and fun and ironic to how dark this probably could be.
I mean I'd punch Fred in real life. He follows Mindy around pretending to like her just to make sure she takes both doses of a morning after pill. And why? Because he's married or in a long-term relationship. It shows two different types of New York lives: Fred is from the intellectual, upper classed part, with a self-centred, jet-setting girlfriend in a big fancy condo or studio apartment it looked like, and Mindy is on a working class budget with a black boyfriend in a small apartment in Brooklyn.
Now I have no idea why Mindy wanted to have Fred's child but based on my description it seems she wants his status through his child? I don't know. I think the director just wanted to portray girls who wind up pregnant after one night stands as bonkers and manipulative who try to pass it off as feminism. Maybe it's his version of modern city girls, as the New York backdrop was utilized a lot and very well so perhaps this setting was done intentionally, or convenient considering it's where the director lived... But it was done in a funny way, and it's a comedy! So it worked.
Anyway I hated Fred, LOVED the guy playing him. I'm not sure if it was improvising the script or what. But he was funny. Sometimes the script seemed like they were improvising with some direction on where the conversation should go, like very realistic dialogue (stuttering, petty back and forths, laughs, vulgar social commentary), so on that level to film snobs it could've looked amateur acting-wise but pretty good direction wise. But I enjoyed it because it was realistic.
The elements were great as I mentioned, the background scenery of New York City, being on the subway-train (a big must in big-city indie films for me), strutting and skipping through big crowds, going to small cafes, convenience stores and pharmacies, apartments with cute and artsy interior decoration (they used the director's apartment for Mindy's apartment), it was all so nice. Their stylish- casual wardrobe. The soundtrack was enjoyable, like atmospheric, bubbly indie music. All these things subtly but hugely make the film, for me. So it's an enjoyable watch. Albeit with flaws. I loved the last scene, I would've done the same thing as Mindy when she saw Fred if not worse.
Long story short: the only flaws, for me, was developing Mindy's character. I simply don't understand why she loved Fred so fast and intentionally had his kid but hey girls like this do exist. I also don't like Fred but I think focusing on him as a character too much is unnecessary to critiquing the film as a whole. The things I liked: the setting, Fred's script and the actor playing him, the theme (it's interesting). The pace was good. It's not a boring film at all. If you're into films just to fall in love with the characters/actors and ignore how well a film was put together or not, then this isn't for you. If you can understand the reality of character flaws but appreciate important film elements like plot, script, setting, angles, music, originality yet reality, then this is for you! :D
Pretty Well for a Low-Budgeted Film
Hongkee_Moviegoer16 April 2014
Im really surprised the IMDb rating for this movie is so low! Im so sure this movie would have been a big commercial success if the casts were all changed into some Hollywood big stars. I would say this movie is tied with "No Strings Attached" but has definitely beat "Friends with Benefits".
The storyline is pretty simple but I do like how the writer/director is capable of catching those small things and moments of a relationship and delivering them smoothly. But sadly the dynamic between both leading characters is not strong enough. For this part, in comparison, Aston Kutcher and Natale Portman in "No Strings" have way better gravity.
Both actresses, Rachel Boston and Anna Chlumsky, are hot enough and I must mention that the performance of Rachel Boston in this film is way better than how she does in Witches of East End. She deserves more than just acting in those lousy teenage drama shows.
The storyline is pretty simple but I do like how the writer/director is capable of catching those small things and moments of a relationship and delivering them smoothly. But sadly the dynamic between both leading characters is not strong enough. For this part, in comparison, Aston Kutcher and Natale Portman in "No Strings" have way better gravity.
Both actresses, Rachel Boston and Anna Chlumsky, are hot enough and I must mention that the performance of Rachel Boston in this film is way better than how she does in Witches of East End. She deserves more than just acting in those lousy teenage drama shows.
not so easy
Vincentiu5 November 2013
a romantic comedy. many clichés, a not complicated story, amusing, charming, nice and ...smart. without be extraordinary, it is special for the courage of director to use a delicate theme. to broke the common laws of genre and present image of deep vulnerability of ordinary people. to formulate few interesting questions. inspired spices are the French accent of Mindy family and the read books by Fred and his girl friend before the breakup. an interesting exercise and the chance for Noah Bean to do a character who remembers usual type of young man of today. the fear, the immaturity, the fragility, the impossibility of correct choice, the insecurity, all, each are a correct portrait in his good performance. Rachel Boston is perfect choice for translate the mixture between vulnerability and huge need of freedom and people. a beautiful film.
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