For all of you Whit Stillman fans (Metropolitan, Barcelona, and Last Days of Disco) check out this movie as well as Noah's earlier film Kicking and Screaming. The premise of the movie is very good and it lives up to its title. If you hate the kind of movie where everyone spends the whole movie talking to one another then skip this one because there are not any jokes involving people being kicked in their midsection or everyone's favorite bathroom humor. Instead you have an intelligent comedy that will add nothing of value to your life but will hopefully make you laugh as you examine other peoples neurosis. I think that there is chemistry between Stoltz and Sciorra despite what a previous reviewer said. I also think this film is better than Kicking and Screaming.
Plot summary
After his first date at age 15 ended with the girl making out with another man at a party, aspiring writer Lester Grimm has treated all his girlfriends with jealousy and suspicion. While dating Ramona Ray, paranoia gets the best of him when he discovers that her most recent ex is successful novelist Dashiell Frank. Lester begins attending the same group therapy sessions as Dashiell to learn about Ramona's past with him.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
July 15, 2021 at 07:35 PM
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I like these kind of movies
Mildly amusing
"Mr. Jealousy" is a somewhat tedious heavily narrated Woody Allen-esque intellectual musing of relationship issues, specifically jealousy, with a NYC Gen-X milieu. A romantic-comedy tale of a tentative Stoltz's affair with a too experienced Sciorra, this emotionally sterile and somewhat heady flick is not likely to evoke more than an occasional chuckle nor milk a single tear nor give anyone the warm and fuzzies. Okay stuff for those into microscopic examinations of relationships though not likely to have broad appeal. (C+)
Noah's Art
Perennially jealous Eric Stoltz (as Lester Grimm) is an aspiring writer and substitute teacher. He finally meets the right woman – Brooklyn art museum tour guide Annabella Sciorra (as Ramona Ray). She's a little clumsy, but very pretty. They make a great couple, but Mr. Stoltz is unnaturally jealous of Ms. Sciorra's old boyfriends – especially successful writer Chris Eigeman (as Dashiell Frank). To learn more about the man, Stoltz joins Mr. Eigeman's group therapy, posing as his friend Carlos Jacott (as Vince). They become friends. Further complicating matters, Mr. Jacott joins the group posing as another character. Although they pretend to be each other, "Vince" and "Leo" contribute nicely...
This story of relationships and jealousy is largely the work of writer/director Noah Baumbach. Characters are very well-played, but we do not care about their pairings. Stoltz could have hooked up with Marianne Jean-Baptiste (as Lucretia) or John Lehr (as Lint) for all it mattered. "Lint" had no luck, but he showed everyone's name pointed to their purpose. Director Peter Bogdanovich appropriately appears as "Dr. Poke". Narration seemingly inspired by Woody Allen and/or Francois Truffaut is a dead weight on the proceedings, but soundtrack music by Dean Wareham and Luna helps. Obviously skilled, Mr. Baumbach has succeeded in making a good film – but, one that it's difficult to like.
***** Mr. Jealousy (9/11/97) Noah Baumbach ~ Eric Stoltz, Annabella Sciorra, Chris Eigeman, Carlos Jacott