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Perfect cast and a good story

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Dimitri Martin writes, directs, and stars here as Dean, who is an illustrator and writer trying to cope with the recent loss of his mother. He's also struggling in his relationship with his father Robert (Kevin Kline), who is also finding his own ways of grieving his loss. With work on his next book blocked by his sadness, Dean decides to travel from Brooklyn to Los Angeles to meet with a dot.com ad agency who have expressed interest in his drawings. While there, Dean will hook up with some old friends like Eric (Rory Scovel) and Becca (Briga Heelan), as well as meeting a new woman Nicky (Gillian Jacobs).I thought the scenes with his friends and Nicky worked well and were often heartfelt and humorous. However, other parts of this movie seemed awkward and flat, so a mixed bag overall.All in all, I thought this rather quirky and oddball dramedy, employing lots of deadpan humor, was only partially successful.

Don't know if this really happen to star writer and director Demetri Martin but it does feels personal and a very real processes of grieving.What is it with Gillian Jacobs' being cast to be the girlfriend of these awkward guys? Guess that's her thing (I'm just assuming based on her role in Love on Netflix).Not enough Kevin Kline in this movie and that's a shame. Not into romantic comedies but I would love to see one if Kevin Kline is playing a man looking for love. The both times I recall him doing it (including this one) have him doing some really good acting. Charming and expressive, It felt like he was really into the woman he was courting. Then again, I'm sure it's not hard to fall in love with Mary Steenburgen (Who was in the Last movie I saw Kline get romantic in, Last Vegas) It reminds me of Nebraska but not as good. Just in the concept that those who can relate to the material would like it more.http://cinemagardens.com

We learn at the beginning of the story that a father and his grown son have just lost a wife and mother and are about to begin the grieving process.The father is played by two time Oscar winner Kevin Kline who turns in an outstanding performance. Likewise Dean, the son, is played by Demetri Martin in a excellent break through performance.. So is the director, screenwriter and producer also in the person of Demetri Martin. An important part of the story are single panel cartoons which are interspersed throughout the film and focuses the mood and irony of various situations in the movie. These drawings are also by Demetri Martin. So who is Demetri Martin? He has been a stand up comic for many years, has worked with Conan O'Brien on TV and has published a book of his own cartoons . He is obviously very talented and was able to draw upon his own experience of having lost a parent at a young age and his understanding of the universal search for love combined with a finely honed sense of humor.Despite the initial premise of the story, this is really not a sad or tearjerker of a story, except the few times that Dean listens to a saved message on his iPhone of his late mom giving him words of encouragement. This is more a story of exploring different ways of grieving, as well as budding love of both a young and older man. It also uses two great exciting American cities that traditionally have been a backdrop for cinematic romance, New York( Brooklyn) and Los Angeles. The two respective women who have stirred the potential of deep romantic feelings in father and son at a time that they were on opposite coasts were Nicky (Gillian Jacobs) and Carol (Mary Steenburgen). Many of Dean's buddies in the movie, are played by actors and comics who have captured the beat of his generation.The net result of this 87 minute film is a feel good experience which reminds us that the connection between loss and new love is natural and inevitable. We highly recommend this movie. It is funny and poignant with surprising depth. (2017)

Demetri Martin has been my favorite comedian for many years, therefore when I heard that he had written, directed and starred in a film I grabbed tickets immediately. Having no trailer to go off of, my mind went wild thinking how the insanely creative Demetri Martin's comedy would translate into a film. Sadly, a lot was lost in that translation.The best part of Dean is its usage of Martin's trademark doodles, which accompany the film's scenes in split screens. They feel fresh and were the saving grace when the film started out with a clichéd father and son by a grave that made me worried. The biggest letdown is the film's continual return to cliché, especially in the final act which plays out as a heavy-handed drama with little comedy. The best thing about Demetri Martin's comedy is that his jokes are presented, the audience gets them, then he moves onto the next joke. In this film there is a lot of unnecessary lingering done. The morals are beaten into our heads in four concluding scenes of nothing but expositional dialogue. Even when the dialogue is more in line with his comedic styling he allows characters too much time to react to the jokes, therefore explaining them. If Demetri Martin tackled each scene as he did his jokes, it could've been a wholly unique film, but his insistence to make a straightforward narrative greatly hurts the film.One scene really perfectly exemplifies where the film succeeds and fails. It's a party scene and Dean doesn't know anyone there. He spots a pretty girl across the room, cue slow motion and music. This instantly got me groaning. Then he takes it further, Dean leans onto a counter in the slow motion and knocks a bunch of clutter everywhere. I groan a little more having seen this joke even taken here before. But then something brilliant happens. He continues the slow motion for just too long. He picks up the clutter, not even looking at the girl anymore, all in slow motion, then he leaves the room. I laugh out loud. It's a perfectly executed defiance of expectations. But then he ruins it, falling back into cliché. I was really hoping in his embarrassment Dean would never talk to this girl, but instantly in the next scene she approaches him and a love story begins. From cliché, to defying clichés, but ultimately settling back into cliché. You can almost feel Demetri's reluctance to take risks and that's a damn shame because if he did it could've been this generation's Annie Hall.However, Demetri has stated that he has more conceptual ideas for future films and Dean was picked up by CBS, so here's to his next project taking more risks and blowing everyone away!