Customer Reviews

The Baxter

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Once in a while I'll see a movie with minimal expectations, and end up being utterly delighted. This is one of those movies. The film is the feature film directorial debut of Michael Showalter, who has previously popped up a number of places on TV and film such as THE DAILY SHOW and STELLA SHORTS. Here is excels on in all three creative tasks. I firmly believe that this is one of those "small" comedies that will build a significant fan base over the course of time. It is unorthodox in that the lead romantic character truly is not especially attractive or appealing. We've all seen comedies in which the leading man was supposed to be unattractive, but in fact was a pretty nice looking guy pretending to be unattractive. Not here: Michael Showalter might be an extraordinarily nice guy, but here he simply is not hot. He isn't merely unattractive; he has terribly posture, moves awkwardly, and dresses horribly. Much of this is achieved by make up, wardrobe, or acting, but the point is that when we look at him we really do see an unattractive guy, and this is crucial to the film's success.

See, Elliot Sherman, Showalter's character, is a Baxter. As the movie explains at the beginning, a Baxter is the guy in romantic comedies who is always left by the girl at the altar when she is reunited with her true love. Ralph Bellamy in HIS GIRL FRIDAY is a Baxter. Bill Pullman in SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE is a Baxter. In other words, they are always the guy you know the girl won't end up with. In THE BAXTER, Elliot meets the very pretty Caroline Swann, whom he meets through his quintessentially Baxter job of accountant. Inexplicably, they hit it off, get engaged, and plan their marriage. Inevitably, Caroline's high school sweetheart reenters the picture and we all wonder if this signals the end of their engagement and the reassertion of Elliot's Baxter-hood. Meanwhile, at the height of his anxiety over the reappearance of the old boyfriend, Elliot meets Cecil, an unpolished but extremely cute temp he met the same day he met Caroline. Of course, as he talks with her and tells Cecil all about his troubled relationship, everyone in the house desires him to get together with Cecil rather than Caroline. Michelle Williams, who is best known for her role in DAWSON'S CREEK, does a great job of looking as mousy and unattractive as it is possible for her to look, though her irrepressibly cute face and great smile is impossible to hide. With her dark and short, she bears a striking resemblance to Janeane Garafalo (which I definitely mean as a compliment-Janeane has gotten a lot of mileage out of being unglamorous, but she really does have one of the great smiles on the planet).

There is a great supporting cast of mainly unknown performers. Most will know Paul Rudd from films like CLUELESS and his other work, but many will be unfamiliar to most. Michael Ian Black was funny as Elliot's close friend who was a bit clueless in his own way, but the best supporting job by far was by the dwarf actor Peter Dinklage, who was great in THE STATION AGENT. Most performances by dwarfs are funny primarily being performed by a dwarf (though Tony Cox is a notable exception). Dinklage, by contrast, is quite funny here, as much by his subtle gestures. He had some great visual reactions to things that happened in his scenes, and the way he walked back and forth in front of Elliot's building was very funny. Casting dwarf actors is always difficult, but I hope he finds more roles in the future. I also like the way that he plays his roles with dignity. You never get the sense with him that anyone is making fun of him.

I saw this at a preview in Chicago, and the audience laughed hard all the way through the film. I think most film goers will do so. I was absolutely stunned when I saw that Roger Ebert gave the film two stars. More and more over the years I've come to distrust his assessments of movies. He not only underrates good movies; he gives absurdly good ratings to awful movies. Remember his 3-star rating of GARFIELD? I'm not sure how to account for the growing quirkiness of his ratings. I've wondered about the conditions he sees films. He may receive screeners and watch movies primarily on DVD. If that is the case, he could have seen this without an audience. In his review he compares THE BAXTER poorly to A 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN, which I think is the weaker of the two films by a considerable margin. And the audience laughed much harder at THE BAXTER. So, I strongly urge anyone wanting to see a good comedy to ignore Ebert and check this out. I promise that very few people are going to be disappointed.

Michael Showalter's feature film directorial debut will probably come as somewhat of a surprise to longtime fans of "The State," "Stella," and "Wet Hot American Summer." While some of the absurdity associated with those projects is in place in "The Baxter," for the most part, this is a sweet comedy in the vein of 70s/80s Woody Allen territory.

Showalter plays Elliot Sherman, "the baxter," a term used for the nice guy that always seems to lose the girl to the more passionate "bad" boy who pops up in romantic comedies. Quite an original idea for a movie, many of the same cast members from "Wet Hot American Summer" (Michael Ian Black, Zak Orth, Elizabeth Banks, Joe LoTroglio, AD Miles) pop up in small supporting roles. David Wain is also here doing his thing -- which lends itself to one of the funniest scenes in the film. The great thing about "The Baxter" is that the absurd comedy aspects of the film never infringe on the sweet and serious nature of the story. It's a fine balance of the two.

The only complaints about the DVD is there are basically no special features aside from four brief "blooper" clips. It would've been nice to have an audio commentary by Showalter, and maybe either a short "making of" or some deleted scenes -- but, that's not here. However, the movie is worth owning and gets better with repated viewings.

Nothing fancy, nothing being blown up, but a great movie for people who love dry humor. If you get the humor you will love the movie if you are totally lost with dry humor I seriously doubt you will enjoy this film. Worth the price.

I went into "The Baxter" with lots of good will and moderate expectations. I believe Michael Showalter is a talented writer and performer with a distinct sense of comic absurdity. "Stella," with all it's zany irreverence, is one of the more unique programs in recent years. And "Wet Hot American Summer" is absolute genius--one of the most underappreciated, robust, and take-no-prisoner's satire in memory. Many who accuse "Wet Hot American Summer" of being "dumb" comedy are missing just how astute this film is--it's as successful in many ways as "Airplane!" was (but without the audience).

I knew "The Baxter" would represent the kinder, gentler side of Showalter--and playing the agreeable loser, he is genial and pleasant. He smartly surrounds himself with an able and attractive cast including Elizabeth Banks, Michelle Williams, Justin Theroux, and his partner in crime--Thomas Ian Black. An appealing bunch, this film has all the earmarks for success. It's pleasant and nice.

It's a pretty conventional romantic comedy setup. "The Baxter" is a nice, shy guy chasing a woman who he can never have while ignoring his real soulmate. Done well, this tried and true formula has worked hundreds of time. It's a moderate success here--it just flows smoothly along all the expected pathways. It's pleasant and nice.

The comedy is less about "jokes" than oddball quirkiness, but really nothing here is that "quirky" or fresh (certainly not if you watch a lot of movies and TV--quirky is getting harder to do because everyone's quirky). Because I liked the performers, I generally smiled at their antics. I can't say I laughed out loud but I watched the movie in a mild state of amusement. It's pleasant and nice.

Ultimately, "The Baxter" just didn't work for me. It's so slight, so unassuming, so moderate--it just never really connects. Not funny enough to be a great comedy, not original enough to be an involving romance--the film just sits there. It's pleasant and nice. But like the Baxter knows--nice isn't always enough. KGHarris, 10/06.

Elliot Wilbur Sherman (Michael Showalter) is a dorky and dull, but kindhearted tax accountant. Elliot has everything he could ever want, including a good job, and a nice apartment in New Jersey, but his life really becomes complete when he falls for the vivacious magazine editor, Caroline Swann (Elizabeth Banks). Although Caroline should be way out of his league, miraculously, she falls for him, too.

Eliot can't believe that he's scored such a gorgeous woman, yet there's also something that draws him to bedraggled bookish office temp Cecil Mills (Michelle Williams). Maybe it's the fact that they are currently reading the dictionary for enjoyment and are both up to the same letter. Swept away by Caroline's gorgeousness, Eliot quickly proposes marriage to her, but he remains terribly nervous, apparently several past loves were swept away by dashing ex-boyfriends, and he fears the same will happen again.

His darkest fears are realized when Bradley (Justin Theroux), Caroline's annoyingly perfect ex-boyfriend, and childhood sweetheart shows up by surprise at her engagement party, Elliot must watch as his best chance at happiness is stolen from under his nose. Can Elliot actually stay the course and win and marry the beautiful Caroline before Bradley reclaims his prize? Or will he end up with the quietly good-natured Cecil?

The Baxter is one of those movies that will probably be instantly forgettable to most viewers, and it is agreeably silly, but it's also fun to watch and has an offbeat sense of humor that is quite touching. The real strength of the film is that the four leads - Showalter, Williams, Banks, and Theroux imbue the film with a simple, inoffensive charm. Showalter is particularly good as Elliot; he's an endearing oddball, just a little out of rhythm with New York City, a "baxter" who is also out of step with the rules of dating. He is fussy and talks haltingly, has a bad haircut, and is funny without being condescending.

Theroux is suitably gorgeous as Bradley. A scientist who is wealthy, successful, and handsome, Bradley can break-dance, quote Keats and even weep on cue. Mr. Theroux manages to regulate the character so precisely that Bradley remains a real human being behind the smarminess.

The real reason, however, to watch The Baxter is the knockout performances by its two female leads: Elizabeth Banks proves she's one of the most versatile actresses working at the moment, and her comedic range is unsurpassed. Although Banks is a sensation, the adorable Michelle Williams may have upstaged her. Ms. Williams has been lost in the shuffle a bit with all the accolades currently heaped on the boys of Brokeback Mountain, so it's wonderful to see her here, in a really strong central performance.

The Baxter is subtle offbeat comedy; it's mannered, idiosyncratic, and guileless and perhaps a bit out-of-fashion, or at least decidedly non-mainstream. There's a sort of comedic irony at work here, a type of good-natured fun that is charming, but also rather naughty and irreverent. The laughs mostly stem from situational clumsiness and stupidity, and are always perfectly balanced between huge dollops of good-natured earnestness. Part of the reason The Baxter works, is that you can't help but empathize and fall in love with all of the characters.

I guess the point of The Baxter is that it's wryly observing the quirky ironies of life. For all we allow others to dictate about our own self-perception and, in many cases, worth, we are still the controllers of our own destiny. Elliot must try to come to terms with his shortcomings, his life as a Baxter, it is only then that he is able to stop lying to himself and for the first time really see who truly loves him. Mike Leonard January 06.

This movie was spectacular. All those comments of negative(and poor grammar abilities)shall be ignored. Showalter captured the character to a "T" of a Baxter, the sweet one who meets the uptight-girl-who-just-doesn't/can't-appreciate-a-good-thing-when-she's-got-it.
So, along comes miss cutey pie who is, as well, too good to be true. Blah, blah, blah....see it and judge for yourselves. I already have. Two thumbs up. An A+. Showalter can do no wrong in my eyes/mind.

The Baxter is Michael Showalter's exegesis on the chronic leavability of guys who get ditched at the altar. Is it fate? Pure lack of game? Or do these guys just have a knack for clinging onto women fate has earmarked for another?

Fortunately, Showalter has seen fit not to inflict upon us yet another blithe romp where the nerdy guy finally gets the clue to ditch the horned-rims for contacts and all of a sudden he's the next coming of Brad Pitt. And the result is a quirky comedy with an original and fresh perspective of a classic storyline.

Where the film neatly avoids falling the course of a modern Pygmalion myth, however, the inescapable notion that our Baxter, Eliot (Showalter), is playing a role in someone else's story haunts the film, leaving us somewhat apathetic to whether or not his bride will ultimately abandon him or not. While Eliot blusters and fumes about the reappearance of his bride-to-be's ex-flame, Bradley (Justin Theroux), we can't help but wish we were seeing Bradley's campaign to reclaim his lost love. After all, it's clear that Eliot's redemption from Baxterhood lies not in his remedial machismo, but rather in his chick-picker. As it would be problematic to watch a war movie about a guy who's (although unwittingly) on a mission to help out the Third Reich, it's little more compelling to watch a film about a guy who spends the whole time fighting for a woman who's wrong for him. By the time Eliot clues in to the identity of his soul's lost love, the film has been so preoccupied with the wrong girl that there's barely enough time to tap the right one on the shoulder, much less fight for her.

In the meantime, some deftly penned characters, enthusiastic performances and truly funny moments fuel the underpowered storyline. Showalter infuses enough intelligence into Eliot to make him sympathetic, and a parade of great supporting talent makes gems out of several moments. As Showalter himself admits, "The best line is always an improvised line," and The Baxter definitely has its fair share. And it is in these moments that The Baxter tastes satisfying in the theatre. We're just a little hungry on the way home.

"The Baxter" was recommended to me by some friends, and I already knew I liked Michelle Williams, so I took a chance and rented it. I was so pleasantly surprised by this movie that I want to purchase it now!
Quirky and hilarious, unexpected and yet reassuringly predictable, this movie is absolutely perfect in every way. The cast is top-notch with lots of faces that you'll find vaguely familiar; the writing and comedic timing are superb; the filming is artsy but not pretentious; the plot is a creative twist on a familiar theme. One of the funniest, most unique, and well put-together films I have seen in a long time.
Sometimes these "independent" films can be a shot in the dark, and either be offensive or crappy or both, but not Baxter. I watched this with my in-laws, my parents and my husband, and ALL of us laughed: men, women, 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's, we all loved it! I whole-heartedly recommend "The Baxter" to everyone!

This movie has its moments, you may laugh a few times, but it never quite reels you in. Michael Showalter, playing the baxter, is not a convincing leading man, never endearing us to him. He's very stiff and over-the-top-geek. You never really root for him to get the girl.
There are some great performances from Michelle Williams, who plays the adorable, sweet, smart love interest. And Michael Ian Black is hilarious as the baxter's underwear-clad friend. Sadly, their performances are not enough to save this movie and make you care whether or not "the baxter" will always be a bachelor.

It really helps if you can relate to the main character. You see, The Baxter is less of a romantic comedy that it is a romantic indie with some dry humor. But for what it lacks in a somewhat lackluster original story, the film makes up for with some great characters, some great scenes, and a splendid cast. The movie isn't overtly funny, but the humor derives from the characters, which makes it all the more funny when they do come around. For example, and spoiler warning, when Elliot finally conquers his 'Baxter' status and declares his love for his love, an old college friend of hers comes up to them at that very moment, knowing that this type of incident is what has messed him up before, Elliot runs after the guy chasing him away. Trust me, it's funnier when you actually see it.

Overall, being a fan of Michael Showalter, I was pleased with what I found in a movie directed, written, and starring him. It's a good debut, and while I sadly don't expect we'll see another project like this from him again, it certainly speaks to his talents, both in playing the funny, and the serious emotional sides of the character. the movie may feel long at times, but it is worth a watch, especially if you're a fan of Showalter's.