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25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfection, January 5, 2010
I had seen the title of this movie on cable a couple of times but was put off by it-- figured it was some cheap comedy. Last night during a conversation, I was flipping through the channels and paused on this film quite randomly. I watched it out of the corner of my eye for a couple of minutes while talking, got interested, then after the conversation got completely engrossed. About the title-- on the one hand it is sad that it lends itself to misunderstanding. On the other, it is THE perfect title for this film. Others have summarized the plot so I won't, but I will give my reasons why this is the perfect film. 1. It is unconventional in plot yet touches on unversal themes as if it were a high concept film. 2. The male character is one of the strongest yet most decent characters in any story I have ever encountered-- at first we think he is masochistic or a stalker, but in the end, we learn he sees deeply. 3. It has twists and surprises. 4. It is intensely psychological, and it is accurate. One law of psychology is: What goes into a human psyche must come out. When the female lead acts-out in weird, aggresive, psycho-sexual ways, that's reality. We don't know why she acts out while it is happening. 5. Subtlety. 6. A quick ending that clarifies almost everything without spelling it out. I'm not the type who cries at movies, but this one really got next to me. I highly recommend Good Dick. If you liked it, you might like a book called The Greatest White Trash Love Story Ever Told. Really reminds me of this story, but is a little more PG-13.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Obscure little indie, unique dysfunction mix, August 29, 2009
As a movie store owner I had to give this one a shot. I suppose I was watching more of the background and props than I was the performances during the store scenes, but at least they got the customer nuances correct (the giggling-obsessed teen girls, the widowed old guy renting on his anniversary, the strange porn addicted gal, etc.).
I do not feel the description is written well (over usage of claustrophobic - neither place is that bad) and the cover art/pics never happen in the film, but I gave it a fair shot since it is being advertised as a 2008 Sundance hit. Our story follows a homeless video store clerk as he stalks a porn-addicted agoraphobic cuckoo girl customer. SPOILERS; Tons of unbelievable events and un-described character issues fill the screen for 90 minutes, punctuated by two cameos (Tom Arnold as the offender dad [3rd perv role for him in as many films - scary]and Charles Durning as the old guy customer). His co-worker crew all have their little idiosyncratic nuances for the slight comic relief, with the story shifting between them and the love interest premise of a who-can-creep-out-the-potential-girlfriend/boyfriend-more-but-still-sleep-together motif.
The film quality is average as is the 5.1 (with a 2.0 option). The main supplement about being played at Sundance lasts over an hour, but since they went the un-narrated way/made at home feel I liked it. The gag reel option lasts 11 minutes and was actually funny only once or twice, should have been called a bad take reel.
A decent freshman attempt at making a totally obscure relationship film about creepy people, gave three for the film and one for the supplements. Just not sure if I can outright recommend this without adding some disclaimers; "innocent" on the cover art is furthest from the truth, "funny" is subjective on this, and the title is going for the shock value as it is never stated in the film. Enjoy.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More like a tragic romantic comedy . . . ., January 23, 2010
This review is from: Good Dick (Amazon Instant Video)
How could a film be a tragic romantic comedy . . . well, take two quirky but lovable young adults, both of whom have been roughed up rather badly in the first few years of their life, have them fall in love and then watch the fireworks until the happy ending I guess.
There are some very funny scenes but I think the tragedy is a more predominant theme as the male lead has been through heavy drug abuse (recovering) and evidently prostituted himself while living on the beaches of L.A. while the female lead's father sexually exploited here.
Jason Ritter, playing the determined suitor of Marianna Palka, draws her out of her depression and through their interaction she is able to face life again (she seldom leaves her apartment).
The action is set around a video store where Ritter and three other guys work, the three other guys Ritter's best friends.
The intriguing aspect of this film is in the depth and complexity of the two main character portrayals through the excellent acting. I mean really . . . this theme has been done before so it is all in the substance of the characters.
By the end of the film I was rooting for both of them . . . I really know a film is good when my eyes tear up at the end.
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