MR. JEALOUSY
A Film Review by James Berardinelli
RATING: **1/2 OUT OF ****
United States, 1998 U.S. Release Date: 6/19/98 (limited) Running Length: 1:43 MPAA Classification: R (Profanity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Eric Stoltz, Annabella Sciorra, Christopher Eigeman, Carlos Jacott, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Brian Kerwin, Peter Bogdanovich, Bridget Fonda Director: Noah Baumbach Producer: Joel Castleberg Screenplay: Noah Baumbach Cinematography: Steven Bernstein Music: Robert Een U.S. Distributor: Lion's Gate Releasing
On the surface, MR. JEALOUSY is not a subtle film -- it's a dark comedy about what happens when a man's deep-rooted insecurity undermines his romantic relationship. At times, the plot ventures into sit-com land, and director Noah Baumbach borrows liberally from other directors (Woody Allen and Whit Stillman in particular). Nevertheless, despite numerous flaws, I appreciated elements of MR. JEALOUSY, in large part because Baumbach captures something about the inherent insecurity in sexual relationships that most films either ignore or oversimplify. Like Kevin Smith's CHASING AMY, this movie addresses questions about trust and fidelity, and gets some of the details right.
The perfect relationship is an unattainable dream. Whenever two people get together, each of them brings along a certain amount of baggage. In the case of Lester Grimm (Eric Stoltz), anything less than a luggage cart won't carry it all. Half a lifetime ago, when Lester was a teenager, he had the unpleasant experience of watching his date make out with another guy. Ever since then, Lester has had serious issues about trusting women. It's in his nature to expect betrayal, and to become suspicious whenever he sees a girlfriend talking to another man (especially an old flame). This near-paranoid jealousy has led to at least one wrecked relationship.
When Lester meets Ramona (Annabella Sciorra), he vows that things will be different. Then he learns that Ramona has led a very active sexual life, and he begins to wonder what she was like before he met her, and whether her past track record might make her a candidate to cheat on him. One day, he follows one of Ramona's ex's, a semi-famous author named Dashiell Frank (Christopher Eigeman), and learns where he attends a twice-weekly group therapy session. Lester promptly joins the group. Unwilling to reveal his genuine identity and history to Dashiell, Lester pretends to be his best friend, Vince (Carlos Jacott). But things get a little more complicated than Lester ever could have imagined.
MR. JEALOUSY isn't the kind of movie that forges an intimate emotional connection between the protagonist and the audience. The frequent, glib narrative voiceover ensures a certain distance between Lester and us. After all, it's difficult to get involved in a character's life when the film maker is constantly intruding on the story with occasionally-amusing but often-superfluous commentary (sort of like watching MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000). On an intellectual level, however, MR. JEALOUSY works when we try to puzzle out how we would react in Lester's position and whether his fears are well-founded. Baumbach understands the roots of relationship angst, and how damaging it can be, and, like Woody Allen, he opts for something more insightful than a superficial treatment.
MR. JEALOUSY's central contrivance hurts the film's believability. It's hard to accept that Lester would be welcomed into an exclusive therapy group with one of the best psychologists in New York while posing as his best friend. It's even less likely that Vince would later be admitted into the same group when using a fake British accent and pretending to be Lester. The entire dynamic seems unnecessarily fabricated, and the slim humor that Baumbach milks from the situation isn't worth the strain on the story's credibility.
Good acting is crucial to the success of an intimate piece like this, and MR. JEALOUSY is blessed with a solid cast. Eric Stoltz (who previously worked with Baumbach in KICKING AND SCREAMING) makes Lester's paranoia seem almost rational (that's because it's presented as only a slight exaggeration of insecurities that everyone is familiar with). Chris Eigeman (a Whit Stillman regular who was also in KICKING AND SCREAMING) applies his uniquely flippant-yet-intense style to Dashiell. Annabella Sciorra is effective as Ramona, although the character could have used a little more fleshing out. The supporting performers include Carlos Jacott as Vince, Marianne Jean-Baptiste (SECRETS AND LIES) as Vince's fiancee, Brian Kerwin as another of Ramona's ex-boyfriends, Peter Bogdanovich as a psychiatrist, and Bridget Fonda as Dashiell's current girlfriend.
In the end, I felt much the same about MR. JEALOUSY as I did about Baumbach's previous feature, KICKING AND SCREAMING. The movie paints a good portrait of some of the most common Generation X concerns, but fails to personalize them. The writer/director may have a deep understanding of his material, but MR. JEALOUSY doesn't offer anything original or remarkable, and, while what the film is saying often strikes a responsive chord, that alone isn't enough to earn it an enthusiastic recommendation.
Copyright 1998 James Berardinelli
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@mail.cybernex.net
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