I was unable to check out Cyrus this past weekend, but my friend Kyle did so I asked him to write about it for the Bloglin. Thanks Kyle. For those playing at home, Kyle has guest-edited once before during last year’s Roller-Fiction Retrospective.

Cyrus is comedy that manages to produce more laughs out of the moments between its jokes than through the jokes themselves. While this task is made easier by the expressiveness of John C. Reilly’s face and the obesity of Jonah Hill’s body, writers and directors the Duplass brothers (Baghead) deserve credit for maintaining their low-key, subdued style in their first mainstream outing.

The plot begins after Reilly is dragged to a party by his ex-wife, where he is shot down repeatedly by every mildly attractive woman in the place. The evening is saved by the arrival of Molly (Marisa Tomei), whose attraction to Reilly at first seems completely contrived but gradually becomes more believable as the details of her dysfunctional relationship with her 22-year-old son Cyrus are revealed. The remainder of the film focuses on the efforts of HIll’s Cyrus to separate his mother and Reilly, who is pathetic and lonely enough to put up with Cyrus’ bullshit.

The movie is largely successful because of the Duplass brothers’ restraint. The gradual revelations of the nature of Cyrus and Molly’s interactions give the audience a growing sense of discomfort that turns every hesitation, gesture, or look from the principals into another significant piece of the film’s awkward comedy puzzle. Cyrus proves that comedy does not have to come from contrived slapstick set-pieces or ridiculous concepts, and excels by avoiding them

Cyrus is in theaters now, so go see it.

- Oh Mars