‘Cyrus’
Director: Jay Duplass
Cast: John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei, Jonah Hill
Rating: R
Grade: ?????
The premise of “Cyrus” is a familiar one — man comes into single mom’s life; single mom’s son is not too happy. However, in “Cyrus” the son turns out to be an off-kilter, 21-year-old wanna–be New Age musician who has the social grace of Norman Bates. Meaning this version of the plot might be the most real — and hilariously creepy — yet.
John C. Reilly plays John, a lonely, middle-aged guy who, at the urging of his ex-wife, goes to a party to open up his romantic borders. There he meets Molly (Marisa Tomei), and they hit it off. After a bit, John discovers Molly has a son named Cyrus (played with eerie ability by Jonah Hill) and that the pair is beyond codependent. Molly and Cyrus’s Oedipal relationship is the perfect vehicle for laughs — it’s just creepy enough to make “Cyrus” hip but not so much that it crosses a dangerous line.
But it’s Reilly who makes the film. He’s not the best-looking guy (in fact, he kind of resembles a Yukon Gold potato), but it’s that realness that lends his performance in “Cyrus”?an honest credibility. Sure, he’s in an insane situation, but he loves Molly and will do what he needs to in order to win her — Cyrus and his synthesizer be damned.
