Cyrus

For the past few years uncomfortable "awkward" comedies have become more and more cromulent. Some get it right, keeping the emphasis on character and story, while others get it all wrong, believing that mere awkwardness will be enough. "Cyrus," written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass, is uncomfortable for most of its running time and it's often quite funny, but it never feels like a comedy. Thankfully though, the emphasis is where it should be.
John (John C. Reilly) maintains a friendship with his ex-wife Jamie (Catherine Keener) and though they've been divorced a long time John still feels the sting when Jamie tells him that she's getting married. In an effort to help him out, Jamie convinces him to go to a party in the hopes of him meeting someone new. John has difficulty talking to women at the party, his drunken honesty scaring them away, until he meets Molly (Marisa Tomei), who finds it charming.
John takes to Molly so fast that he tells her on their second date, "I really want this to work out." Clearly Molly likes John a lot but there's something she isn't quite ready to tell him just yet. Unknown to her, John follows her home one night and the next morning he discovers a young man living in her house. His name is Cyrus (Jonah Hill). He is Molly's son and John quickly realizes they're going to have to get used to each other. Cyrus on the other hand isn't ready to share his mom with anyone.
Cyrus and Molly are not just close, their relationship actually makes John rather uncomfortable. Once it becomes clear to him that he and Cyrus are in a psychological battle he knows that Cyrus has the upper hand. Cyrus knows this too and he's going to exploit his closeness with his mother to the fullest.
It seems that audiences have become conditioned to laugh when things get too uncomfortable for them when watching a movie. As great as "awkward" comedy can be when done well ("The King of Comedy," "Freaks and Geeks," the TV work of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, etc.) the sheer amount them, particularly the ones that don't work as well, has put people in the mindset that anything that's a little bit difficult to watch must be meant to be laughed at. While there are several genuinely funny moments in "Cyrus" there are some very serious heartfelt moments as well. The difference between the two can be subtle but it is most definitely there. The Duplass brothers know what reaction they're after but the assembly line of uncomfortable comedies may leave many in the audience confused. I'm not blaming the Duplass brothers for this, or even the audience (except for the too cool for school viewers who won't allow themselves to feel anything), but mainly the film and TV industries for playing up awkward pauses and forced discomfort. Not every uncomfortable moment is meant to be laughed at. Some of them are filled with genuine emotion and are the result of a believable conflict between characters. In "Cyrus" these conflicts are wonderfully played out by the cast.
Reilly has great success using every inch of his talent, playing John somewhere between Dewey Cox and John from "Hard Eight." Hill meanwhile shows off a lot more depth than he has before, showing he may be around awhile after all. Tomei and Keener are terrific as always.
Maybe the most surprising thing about "Cyrus" was that it was released in its current form. As it ended I got the sense that this was the sort of movie that could have very easily become a formulaic major studio comedy with one word from a jittery executive. John and Cyrus would have been outlandish caricatures instead of real people, there would have been a series of broad fight scenes followed by an equally broad reconciliation, and it would have been all wrapped up with people dancing over the end credits.
"Cyrus" isn't a masterpiece but it is a movie that should be appreciated for what it is. The movie the makers of it wanted it to be. This one is well worth checking out. 8/10.