People, Places, Things (2015)

So much average

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

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

'PEOPLE PLACES THINGS': Three Stars (Out of Five)Another comedy-drama flick; about an unconventional dad, learning to be a good parent. This one stars Jemaine Clement, and it was written and directed by James C. Strouse. The film costars Regina Hall, Jessica Williams, Stephanie Allynne, Michael Chernus, Aundrea Gadsby and Gia Gadsby. I found the movie to be funny, and very sweet, but nothing too memorable.Clement plays a teacher, and aspiring graphic novelist, named Will Henry; who recently separated from his wife, Charlie (Allynne), on their daughters' (Aundrea and Gia Gadsby) fifth birthday. After explaining his recent divorce to his class; a student named Kat (Williams), sets him up on a blind date with her mother (Hall). The two don't immediately hit it off, but they slowly learn to like each other. Will tries to cope with this new relationship, while also getting over his failed one, and trying to be a better dad. He also learns to be a better teacher, and artist, in the process (of course).It seems like we've seen this movie dozens of times before, but Clement is a very likable, and quirky, actor; so he's able to breathe new life into the material (to a certain extent). The rest of the cast is decent (Chernus is especially a scene-stealer) and the directing is adequate. The writing definitely could have been a little better though; most of the really good scenes seem mostly improvised (but I could be wrong). The film is pleasant, and humorous enough; for at least one viewing, I'd say.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb0-wDtevNo

Jemaine Clement plays a soft-spoken, passive, naive graphic novelist, university teacher and newly single father of two young girls. People, Places, Things is about the struggles of learning to let go and move forward after having your heart broken. That's pretty much it. Jemaine Clement plays his role somewhat passionless. It's hard to tell if it was a lack of dedication on his part or how writer/director James C. Strouse chose to make the character. The heart of the film is the character as a fun father but it doesn't seem like he is comfortable showing his daughters much affection. There is a very clear disconnection between him and the other characters in the film, which kind of leaves us feeling indifferent to him and his situation.Though the film follows Clement's character, all the female characters act circles around him and steal the show. Regina Hall, Jessica Williams, Stephanie Allynne, Aundrea Gadsby and Gia Gadsby all have much more interesting characters and are outstanding in their roles. It's a shame we didn't get to spend more time with them.This is suppose to be a heart-felt dramatic comedy but it's not funny and the heart is on auto-pilot, just slowly going through the motions, not fully present. The most insight we get from the main character is through his art, which was clever and needed, as through-out most of the film he seems bored and stale.

This film tells the story of a newly divorced graphic novelist, and his life that juggles between work, his two daughters and sorting out his emotions for his ex-wife."People Places Things" is a natural story about real life people and real life events. Though people say they go to the cinemas to see what isn't ordinary, it's refreshing to see something real. The lead character, Will, is clearly surprised to see his wife in bed with another man. Interestingly, he doesn't show much emotions on the spot. Instead, he spends the next year working through his emotions, and be an even better father to his two young daughters. I enjoyed watching this film.

People Places Things isn't really about people, places or things. That's a grand statement. It's much more specific. It's about the romantic relationships of a 40 year old single father of two little girls, Will Henry played by Jemaine Clement. Writer and director James C. Strouse's autobiographical touch brings a freshness to that type of used protagonist. Will is lost, uneasy, and despite passive aggression with his predicament, he's a grounded and sensitive character. Add that to Will's graphic novel drawing vocation and People Places Things is like Mike Mills' Beginners but less tragic and more self-pitying to many endearing degrees.On his daughter's 5th birthday, Will catches his wife Charlie (Stephanie Allynne) cheating on him with the most insultingly least likely suspect; a pale, overweight and sheepish man, Gary (Michael Chernus). Jump to the next birthday a year later and they're long since split up. Will gets his two daughters on weekends, wrestling for as much time with them as possible whilst juggling his graphic novel teaching job. Life never felt more unfair to Will as Charlie's announcement that she's pregnant with Gary's baby and they're about to get married.At class, his student Kat (Jessica Williams) tries to set Will up with her mom Diane (Regina Hall), despite the fact that she's dating other people. Their awkward dinner is an ideal example of his ineptitude with relationships in light of his split. Meanwhile, he gets his wish as Charlie dumps his daughters on his schedule while she goes through various strains in her life. However, in a bind as he lives an hour away from their school, he elicits the help of Kat as an emergency babysitter and thus a relationship blossoms between him and Diane. Life gets complicated as Charlie's stressful life brings her closer to Will and he must make a choice between the two women.Fans of Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords and his recent brilliant vamp-moc What We Do In The Shadows will certainly be drawn to this and will be surprised to find him more dramatic than before. Like his comedy he handles it with a dry simplicity. Strouse's direction isn't as strong as his script and you often find the cast hesitating at lines as if they want to alter the words to feel more natural. Fortunately those moments are outweighed by the odd comedic jab, some you can clearly see Clement relish in, enjoying the details of his character and situation. He brings the bulk of the film's appealing whimsy and solemnity.The supporting cast is a mixed bag. On the one hand you have the superb Regina Hall who nails her exasperated role. I remember her mostly from Scary Movie so it's odd to see her in a role like this. On the other hand you have Stephanie Allynne whose conviction never once lands as sincere. It kind of works since her character is a struggling actress but that didn't need to spill into other areas of her performance. She's supposed to be the one these men are fighting over and she hardly gives us a reason. The film unwisely leaves most of her scenes offscreen as that's where the biggest drama of its story lies, but Allynne's weakness as an actress makes it a blessing in disguise that she doesn't have more scenes.The photography suffers from its low budget and doesn't feel well planned out as if it's hastily on autopilot most of the time. It's made up by its lovely score with a quirky lushness that elevates the richness of every scene. It's a very lighthearted film, but at its most thoughtful it ponders success and failure in relationships. It acknowledges how all relationships have an end, but does that make them a mistake? How do you measure success? It's an easy film to connect to if you come from a family disjointed by divorce, but not to the point of complete fracture. People Places Things suffers from being obvious and stilted in a lot of places but it has a genuine heart at its core and a great sense of humor that makes it worth watching.7/10Read more @ The Awards Circuit (http://www.awardscircuit.com/)