Watch The Baxter For Free

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

good back-story, and good acting

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This film is about a man who is unlucky in love due to his rigid ways. He learns to break his bad luck by breaking his behavioural pattern."The Baxter" is actually an interesting look at this accountant who is rather unlucky with ladies. His character is interesting, as he is not particularly likable, but he radiates a mischievous charm. "The Baxter" is an unconventional romantic comedy, it is a little dark but it is quite funny at the same time. I particularly found the argument in flat scene and the date in hamburger joint scene funny.For some unknown reason, I find "The Baxter" having an ability to stretch time. I thought I have watched at least an hour when in fact I watched only 30 minutes. Maybe it's the dialog heavy script, or the lack of spacing scenes, or the lack of lighthearted bubbly scenes to sooth the atmosphere. I am not saying it is boring or bad, because it is not.

Elliot, the CPA who is seen at the beginning of the picture, is a nerd. Don't get me wrong, he is a good nerd, and that's his own downfall. We watch him as Carloline Swann, his fiancée, enters the church to stand next to him. Right there we realize these two are not made for one another. But have no fear, help is on the way. When the female minister asks the congregation if there is anyone who knows why this marriage can't proceed, a disheveled Bradley, who loves Caroline, comes forward to claim her for his own, leaving Elliot at the altar alone.The action then goes back in flashbacks as to how Elliot and Caroline met. Elliot has employed a temp, Cecil Mills, who is new to Manhattan and is late for work because she got lost. Cecil and Elliot seem to strike a much balanced match, but the beauty of Caroline, when she enters the office erases all traces of the mousy Cecil from Elliot's mind, as he doesn't finish asking her for a concert that night.As the preparations for the wedding get on the way, we realize Elliot and Caroline are not suited for one another. There is a hilarious gay wedding planner called Benson Hedges who will be in charge of the nuptials. Elliot in the end will be "the Baxter" of the title, because he is the man who will end up without getting the luscious Caroline.This wonderful comedy written and directed by Michael Showalter, came and went without much fanfare. It deserved much better, but it might have been the timing for its release that killed all the possibilities, as it came out right after "The 40 Year Old Virgin" had captured the movie going public's affections. This film, in comparison, is like a string quartet. Its heart is in the right place and Mr. Showalter got excellent acting from his ensemble cast.The director, like Woody Allen, just to mention another writer-creator, could have done better by staying behind the camera and casting his Elliot with another actor. Not that he doesn't do a good job, but perhaps he would have made Elliot a more lovable character than what comes in the screen.Michelle Williams steals the film. This actress is amazing. She may not have the meatiest role, but she is someone who the viewer will remember in spite of the beautiful, and talented Elizabeth Banks, who plays the two-timing Caroline. Justin Theroux is Bradley, the boyfriend who couldn't stay away. Zak Orth, Paul Rudd, Havilland Morris, and especially Peter Dinklage, are all wonderful in supporting roles."The Baxter" is a delightful film thanks to the talented Michael Showalter who will no doubt will go far in whatever he decides to do next.

I did not know what to expect from this movie. Knowing it was written by Mike Showalter and featuring members of Stella/The State, I thought it would be a brash, albeit hysterical, examination of failed relationships. Brash it was not (no sign of dick-fish, here), but I was pleasantly surprised, and it is pretty funny. The story is great, very well-written. The humor is subtle; the movie is more funny in how people react to statements people say, or the way that Mike Showalter says certain things ("I had a dream that Bradley was at the bar!") and how terribly geeky he is ("Let me just put my driving cap on."). Peter Dinklage as the wedding coordinator is very funny. I haven't seen many of his movies, aside from the Station Agent, and it's nice to see him in a non-dramatic role. He gets lost in Brooklyn and freaks out slightly. Ohh, people from Manhattan are amusing. Justin Theroux, David Wain, and Paul Rudd are all wonderful as usual.I should also mention that Tim Orr did the cinematography, and his art direction is usually fantastic (e.g., All The Real Girls).I wish I'd known about this movie before hand. I would have seen it in the theatre. I really enjoyed it. It's tender and subtle, and pretty funny. I look forward to seeing more of Showalter's movies, which I hope he continues to make.

I really feel like this movie makes a statement, too subtle for some to hear, but nevertheless a statement for those of us who came of age in the 80's. I kept having flashbacks to the late 80s early 90s while watching this. Maybe it was the reticence or shyness of the leads, or the haunting score, or the theme of missed opportunities and compromises in love. Something about this movies strikes a chord in me and my broken heart. It chimes with Sideways for me somehow. It is a great, great film. Just know, that however tough life seems, you don't know what you've got till it's gone. Be sure you watch the credits to the end...the very end. There are surprises!