Liberal Arts

Starring: Josh Radnor, Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Jenkins, Allison Janney, Elizabeth Reaser, Zac Efron, John Magaro
Directed by: Josh Radnor
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2012

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A 35 year-old man (Josh Radnor) returns home to his college in Ohio for the retirement party of his favorite professor (Richard Jenkins). There, he meets and falls for a 19 year-old coed (Elizabeth Olsen).

Review:

Tim: I really like Josh Radnor, and I am very enthusiastic about seeing his continued growth as a writer, director, and actor. I thought his last effort, Happythankyoumoreplease was a pretty decent directorial debut. The movie wasn't quite good, but it showed real promise. I'm happy to see that this sophomore effort, Liberal Arts is a better movie. While not a great film, it shows that he's improving his craft. I enjoyed this movie, and believe it is definitely better than his last film.

I might be somewhat biased because the main character is an English major with a minor in History (as was I), and he spends a great deal of the film discussing great literature, classical music, and philosophical musings. This is definitely an intellectually stimulating movie, but it's done so in an accessible way. I just happened to like the story more because it involved people reading great things, having intellectual conversations, and improving their knowledge.

The story itself is pretty interesting, and it developed in unexpected ways. We see our protagonist return to his alma mater, where he falls for a college student who is 16 years younger than him. That's a pretty interesting premise, and is explored in many different ways. While this is the drama that propels the rest of the film, Radnor makes sure that his script doesn't follow the typical Hollywood route. It threw me off a bit, but I really appreciated not knowing how everything was going to turn out.

The cast is good. Radnor is such a likable guy, and I enjoyed him in the lead role. He really does come across as intelligent, and he fit well in this film. I love his approach to Hollywood- not just sitting around and waiting for people to cast him, but actively carving out his own career (similar to what his "How I Met Your Mother" co-star, Jason Segel is doing). He has a lot on his shoulders here, but his acting works as well. I enjoyed him in this film.

I also loved the casting of Elizabeth Olsen. It's still so early in her career, and she's so young, but she has shown real promise in her career. She's certainly a better actor than her older sisters. I thought she gave a good performance here- it wasn't spellbinding or showstopping, but it was enjoyable. She projected the right level of intelligence as well as a bit of the naivety you would expect from someone so young. She and Radnor worked well together on screen.

Richard Jenkins is always a welcome addition to any cast. His character wasn't fantastic, but it afforded him a few strong moments. I was very surprised to see Zac Efron here, but his character was so funny, and his performance so spot-on that it was definitely a welcome surprise. I'm interested to see if he continues to force me to change my mind about him. He worked well here. I also loved seeing Elizabeth Reaser in this film. She's underrated, and added to the film quite a bit. Her role is small, but it was important.

Liberal Arts is a good movie. I enjoyed it, it featured interesting characters, and it defied my expectations. Radnor's film definitely marches to its own drum. I appreciate the different path it took. It's an intelligent, funny film (the scene where Radnor reviews one of the "Twilight" books made me laugh out loud). While this isn't a great film, I can see marked improvement in Radnor's writing and directing skills. I sincerely hope he continues to make his own films, because I know he has a truly terrific one in him. I'm looking forward to seeing his continued progression.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Happythankyoumoreplease, Old School