Liberal Arts (2012)

A Liberal Arts Education Solves All Your Problems

2 years after writing and directing Happythankyoumoreplease, Josh Radnor delivers yet again a witty and efficient romance tale. This time, it is narrated to a college background. The plot focuses on the reality following a Liberal Arts education and the complex attraction between a 35-year-old and a college freshman. Radnor chooses to explore a fascinating classical-music-mixtape-themed epistolary relationship. This is especially cute in this day and age. It strikes me as a beautiful modern ode to Dangerous Liaisons. And it's really enjoyable to witness actual handwritten human interactions in a recent movie. The whole cast is magnificent and works very well with each other. Allison Janney is her usual fantastic self, Elizabeth Olsen is a gem, Richard Jenkins is funny, and it is nice to see Elizabeth Reaser as well as Kate Burton for a little while. Even Zac Efron - and I never thought I'd say this - plays his uncommon part with no misstep. Josh Radnor knows how to pick his soundtrack which is a flawless combination of classical music and indie rock. The storyline surprises me as it doesn't turn out to be your typical Rom Com. Liberal Arts is a very good silver-screen moment that combines a high-quality college story and a surprisingly non-mushy and unusual romance. 

1 reason to watch: it is unusually unpredictable for a Rom Com

Happythankyoumoreplease (2010)

"Hardly Dickensian, Y'Know What I'm Sayin'?"

I do like my NYC common folk stories with a passion. Why you ask? Because I can relate to those characters. They aspire to something else, something greater than their current routine. They make bad decisions that they know they'll regret. It's the dawn of their lives. They're excited and scared by their dreams and surroundings. Happythankyoumoreplease is a witty comedy about thirty-something New-Yorkers with  just the right amount of oddness. It combines several things I enjoy in a movie: a rad soundtrack, New York City, common people, witty humor, simple plot. Happythankyoumoreplease is almost real life. It's as far as you can get from Sex & The City but still residing in Manhattan. It's fresh, young, full of promises and hope. It may not be the movie of the century but certainly a nice directorial and writing debut for Josh Radnor and a relaxing movie session. It won the Audience Award at the 26th Sundance Film Festival. And I believe you can always trust Sundance. 

1 reason to watch: spend a good time with those characters because they are like you