shelkara
After a long hideous week at the office, I went to my friend's house for dinner on a Friday night, looking forward to a relaxing night of good friends and good food. She told me she'd rented a couple movies. I'd seen the other one, so we decided to watch Flannel Pajamas. Two hours later, we had to deal with the sad fact that we'd just wasted those 2 precious hours of our lives. This film is badly acted, even more badly written, and badly directed. The movie opens awkwardly--Stuart and Nicole are set up on a double date and fall in love "instantly." Stuart's dialog in this scene is incredibly corny and unrealistic. I turned to my friend and said, "If a guy said this stuff to me on our first date, I'd start looking around for the candid camera." But Nicole seems to lap it up. Later on, as their relationship is just starting to form, she accepts $15,000 from him to pay off her student loans after he offered it in the smarmiest and most condescending way possible. It was just utterly unbelievable, and the acting and writing of the romantic/sex scenes is so awkward that it makes for truly bizarre viewing experience.The sex scenes are almost comical in their gratuitous explicitness (is that a word? you know what I mean.) It was definitely nudity for nudity's sake, and the two leads have no chemistry, so the scenes were completely, completely unerotic. After a while, it got to be so much that my friends and I started playing a drinking game -- a shot of tequila for every body part. The sex scenes abruptly stop when they get married (you know, because when you get married, you just stop having sex and life turns into an episode of thirty-something), which was lucky for us, or else I might have been very hung over this morning.Horrible movie. I felt sorry for all involved. And yet, they have only themselves to blame. If you're looking for a romantic comedy to cozy up to on a quiet night, almost anything else would be better than this, I'm sorry to say.
trixie303@hotmail.com
I rented this based on good reviews from the likes of Ebert and I agree with another reviewer here...this movie fails to deliver and Ebert, I want my money back.Justin Kirk is always delicious and rich and gives passionate performances...here I was like UGH, shut up. Same with Julianne Nicholson. I disliked every single character in this movie. This is not the wonderful actors' faults. No, this is a Jeff Lipsky problem. This is apparently a semi-autobiographical story and it perhaps director is too close to subject matter and doesn't see the major flaws in the story he has written here. HUGE holes...I imagine Jeff writing some of these scenes from memory (as I have done in my writing) and failed to step away...look at it with new naked eyes and say...hmmm, lots of holes here because drama and movies are not real life...real life needs filling out to be put on screen.I am really shocked how un-fleshed-out these characters all are...how unlikable they all are and how this movie got Justin K to appear to be not a great actor.I recommend this movie for writers and actors so that they may witness writing and performance that is not great, not horrible but terribly flawed...see if you can figure out how this movie could have been better...S**t, it could have been brilliant.
sheckyicecream
Flannel Pajamas was intelligent. The dialogue is exceptionally well written and manages to keep the viewer in the movie - as most good "Indie" flicks often do. It is more of a character/relationship study than anything. These types of movies often get overlooked when it comes to critics or the general public. It is understandable how someone who likes "XXX" with Vin Diesel would hate this movie - opposite ends of the spectrum. Likewise, for those of you that loathe the unimaginative huge budget big-named action films that pollute Hollywood and movie screens across the country, you'll love this one. Flannel Pajamas is a much needed break from the mainstream.Julianne Nicholson and Justin Kirk have excellent chemistry together, doing a superb job of portraying a couple adapting to modern-day problems that threaten to tear them apart. It comes together as a poignant love story of opposites attracting and making it work.
filmguyCI
Film follows the relationship between two thirty something New Yorkers through their first date, courtship, marriage, and eventual breakup. Interesting concept but this film is in dire need of an editor. Film begins with a blind date at a diner where the two main characters meet. I was looking forward to experiencing the initial awkwardness of the first date; the small talk and uncomfortable moments which would then gradually transform into two people connecting on a more intimate level. Instead, the film starts mid date at the diner with the main characters and their friends who are distracting and don't need to be there. To make matters worse, Stuart (Justin Kirk) comes off as arrogant, and a bit smarmy. Nicole (Julianne Nicholson)is a mousy, dull young woman who appears to lack confidence. If you don't like the characters, who cares whether they like each other? A subsequent scene has Stuart in the rain lying his jacket between the curb and the cab so Nicole doesn't get wet, then leaves it there. This comes off more stupid than charming.As the film progresses, Justin Kirk as Stuart does begin to tone things down and the character starts to become more likable as the couple's relationship develops. But then, Nicole begins to become more selfish, childish, and immature. Nicole's change in her feelings toward Stuart seems to come somewhat out of the blue. All this results in an ending that is a downer and a bit puzzling. The actors do what they can, but the writing, directing, and editing let them down.Lots and lots of dialog here and unnecessary scenes that don't move the story. Also, several unnecessary characters and plot lines are introduced but fail to have much significance. Decent supporting performances, however, especially by Rebecca Schull as Nicole's mom. Also a surprising amount of nudity by both lead characters which was tastefully done. "Flannel Pajamas" does have some important things to say about the difficulty in sustaining relationships today, especially with so many outside influences such as family, friends, and careers. Still, I'm not convinced that investing two hours in these characters was quite worth it.
AD
