Marisa Tomei and John C. Reilly star in 'Cyrus': movie review
John C. Reilly has an uncanny gift for making his characters seem simultaneously depressed and lively. In 鈥�Cyrus,鈥� he鈥檚 found his archetypal role as John, a sometime editor and layabout who, after seven years, is still reeling from his divorce. (He was dumped.) When he finds out his ex-wife (Catherine Keener) is remarrying, he goes into a tailspin but, in a deus ex machina moment, the woman of his dreams, Molly (Marisa Tomei) comes up to him at a party, and pretty soon they鈥檙e a couple. The catch: Her live-in, 21-year-old son Cyrus (Jonah Hill), Molly鈥檚 best friend and, as soon becomes obvious (though not to Molly), John鈥檚 worst enemy.
Written and directed by the brothers Jay and Mark Duplass, 鈥淐yrus鈥� is a furtive little farce with a deadpan style all its own. Reilly doesn鈥檛 go for the obvious laughs. John鈥檚 ardor for Molly is actually quite touching, which is why, when Cyrus threatens to wreck his elation, he鈥檚 both bereft and enraged.
Tomei doesn鈥檛 reach for obvious effects, either. Her Molly may be clueless about Cyrus鈥檚 inner imp, but she鈥檚 no dingbat. She wants things to work out with John, but she also wants Cyrus to be happy. On some level, she probably does see Cyrus for the relationship-wrecker that he is, but she鈥檚 repressed it.
Hill is so familiar to us from playing mumbly, sweet-souled goofballs, most recently in 鈥�Get Him to the Greek,鈥� that鈥檚 it鈥檚 a bit off-putting to see him playing a tightly wound, beady-eyed creep. But even here, there鈥檚 more than meets the eye and ear. Hill manages to convey Cyrus鈥檚 real pain as well as his faked pain.
鈥淐yrus鈥� slows down by the end, and even before then it鈥檚 often too mopey for its own good. But there鈥檚 an original comic temperament at work here, and that鈥檚 rare. Grade: B+ (Rated R for language and some sexual material.)
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