Why Stop Now
I had not heard anything about this movie before seeing it. I just dug the cast and the story design on the back synopsis. Sometimes that’s all that it takes. I usually try not to judge a book by its author and here again I had no prior knowledge of the directors. So going into this movie all I knew about it was an all-star cast and a cute premise. Hopefully that was enough to get through this film.
Synopsis Time!
The story of Eli Smith (Jesse Eisenberg), a piano prodigy, dealing with his troubled mother, Penny (Melissa Leo), and enlisting help from a hapless drug dealer, Sprinkles (Tracy Morgan), on the day he has an audition for a prestigious music program. Events spiral comically out of control as this gang of misfits faces the mistakes of the past, the challenges of the future, and the possibilities of love.
Most people will probably never see this movie, also mostly because this movie is being a low-key and independent production. But really, that doesn’t mean that this movie isn’t worth checking out. It’s nothing to run out for but I see this as a perfect movie to watch on a rainy afternoon or as a way to kill some time with. It’s well made, occasionally funny but above all things it’s being a very light movie to watch, making this movie easy to digest and simply pleasant to watch, despite of some of its main dramatic themes. ??That’s probably the reason why I enjoyed watching this movie; it never gets too heavy or too serious one. It manages to find a pleasant balance between its drama and comedy elements, by mostly inserting comedic ingredients and oddball characters.
Jesse Eisenberg is a really good actor. Prior to “The Social Network” (2010), I didn’t really believe he was good (probably because of unfair superficial assumptions placed on him), but he may very well have mastered the drama-comedy balance. The script goes to extremes in manufacturing obstacles and misplaced hilarity. Melissa Leo takes on those extremes with her high-pitched self-righteous prattle and we wish she were locked in rehab at the very beginning. Tracy Morgan, surprisingly, plays his role more subdued than he has probably ever been before and the result is a drug dealer that doesn’t produce any laughs.
“Why Stop Now” is a flawed film, but its examination of the Eisenberg character is fascinating, and I found myself drawn on some level to most of the other characters, who aren’t as clear cut as they appear to be. Sure some it the scripting is bad and the direction is not anything to write home about but it’s a solid flick.
Why Stop Now [Blu-ray]
Ratings are based on a 5-star scale
Overall: 3 angry sock puppets out of 5
Review by Bro’ B – Ben
We received product to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own.
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