Smiley Face

Starring: Anna Faris, John Krasinski, Adam Brody, Jane Lynch, Danny Masterson, Danny Trejo, John Cho
Directed by: Gregg Araki
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A woman (Anna Faris) gets baked beyond belief, and then gets into crazy situation after crazy situation while trying to make it to a Marijuana Festival to pay her dealer before he sells off her furniture.

Review:

Tim: So, I guess this movie isn't a romance like I thought, unless you consider how much Anna Faris loves smoking pot. In that way, this could be considered a romantic film. Really, this movie is a pretty straightforward comedy. Oh yeah, and it also sucks. I can kind of see where this movie might have been a good idea, but the execution is pretty poor. The film does have a few funny moments, but it mostly consists of long, long stretches that aren't very funny at all.

There's really no point to the story at all, and the movie becomes more and more ridiculous the longer the film goes on. It ultimately becomes so stupid that there's really no point anymore. This is a huge, major flaw of the film. Nothing matters because we simply don't care about anyone or anything that happens.

I will say the movie did get a number of decent actors for small parts. The film features Adam Brody, Jane Lynch, John Krasinski, Danny Masterson, Danny Trejo, John Cho, and others. Unfortunately, these actors don't have much screen time, so their impact is minimal. Instead, we're stuck with Anna Faris for pretty much every second of screen time. I always struggle with Faris. I really think she has some talent as an actress, but she always plays these absurd, over-the-top characters. She's good at it, but I wish she would on occasion show some restraint. You have to give her credit for showing no fear in the face of looking completely brainless on screen. I wish she had been a little less ludicrous on screen.

I really have no idea why John Krasinski bothered to make this film. His role is pretty pointless, completely unfunny, and almost a complete waste. I love Krasinski, and he added nothing to the film at all. Adam Brody, Jane Lynch, and the other "names" added very little as well, besides the enjoyment that comes simply from seeing them on screen. The cast was grossly underutilized.

The film really only has one joke- isn't it funny how Anna Faris is so stoned and how she reacts to people around her? That's it. This does become funny once in a while, but it grows old pretty quickly. Thankfully, the movie is only 88 minutes long. The film barely has enough material to fill that up. I have to say I didn't think this movie was particularly funny or memorable. I was only slightly entertained.

I really think Smiley Face could have worked. Sadly, it is an unfunny, boring, mess of a movie. I didn't enjoy this film at all, and I wish I had never wasted my time with it.


Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 4.5



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