Touches You

I'll tell you why so serious

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

To this day, this is one of the only movies that made me cry. It was an absolute masterpiece and Margot Martindale in this was Emmy worthy. John Krasinski as director and actor was amazing too. The whole cast was amazing as well.

If you were to create a spoof of independent family dramedies, it might share a lot in common with "The Hollars." That's not to knock the relatable, familiar and big-hearted intentions of writer Jim Strouse and director/star John Krasinski ("The Office"), but their movie is rife with not just clichés, but the most obvious clichés. Most people could guess what will happen after witnessing just the first 20 minutes.Like so many films before it, a major family occurrence brings the main character, in this case John Hollar (Krasinski), home from his big city life to his middle America hometown and into old and challenging dynamics. That inciting incident is news that mama Sally Hollar (Margo Martindale) has been diagnosed with an advanced brain tumor. Each Hollar takes the news differently, and it turns out that's not all they have to contend with; patriarch Don's (Richard Jenkins) family business is failing and older brother living at home, Ron (Sharlto Copley), is crossing the line with his ex-wife and two daughters. Oh, and John's girlfriend (Anna Kendrick) is eight months pregnant.Strouse's story doesn't just embrace clichés, it leans into them. John has to face his high school sweetheart (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and her high-strung boyfriend (Charlie Day) who "happens" to be his mom's nurse; Ron contends with his ex's seemingly perfect youth pastor boyfriend (Josh Groban); Sally has emotional trouble shaving her head in preparation for her surgery. And that's without mentioning the pregnant girlfriend. No character's behavior, circumstances or outcome comes as any surprise.In spite of it all, the film attracted all these terrific names in the parentheses above, and they lift Strouse's script about as high as it can go. The moments of the film that work work because of the talent. Krasinski does not offer much as a director to tell this story in a way that extends beyond the banal framework of the family that contends with big feelings and comes together in the face of adversity."The Hollars" will surely find fans in viewers who enjoy recognizable on-screen talent in a movie that's story safely goes where they want it to go, with its "profound" moments punctuated by indie folk music. Sure, the reason filmmakers started making movies like this in the first place was because there was something real, honest and tangible about this setup, and "The Hollars" touches these same universal themes and feelings. But Strouse's script feels more like a smattering of conveniently chosen archetypes, scenarios and personality traits weaved together to create that story instead of finding its own voice.Especially considering the talents of Krasinski, Kendrick, Jenkins, Martingale, etc. the lack of originality creates a staggering amount of apathy for their characters and the cookie-cutter ups and downs of the story. There's something bizarre about seeing moments in this film that are well-acted and come from such a sincere place, but feel empty because they go down exactly as you'd expect a movie to draw them up. Empathy requires novel moments in which viewers feel compelled to put themselves in a character's shoes. "The Hollars" proves that the key word in that formula is "novel," because if we've already pondered all of these exact predicaments depicted in a film, it's not so exciting to put on that old pair of shoes, even when they offer some familiar comforts.~Steven CThanks for reading! Visit Movie Muse Reviews for more

Before I wrote this review because I wanted it to settle in. I won't say amazing, but I will say pretty damn good. Richard Jenkins, Margo Martindale (who doesn't get the credit she deserves) and Anna Kendrick (hot and a great actress, and, no, I don't care what you think) all shone in this movie...Krasinski was, of course, going to be the weak link. Another guy who was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple. But he can be ignored, as he should be (yeah, I know he directed it, but I feel it was the kind of direction where he's asking the real actors,"What do you think I should do here?"). The brother was a nice evolution...even the nurse (the little guy from Always Sunny in Philadelphia) was a fun tangent. Watch it..you'll be pleasantly surprised.

"The Hollars" is a film I had heard about for a while mainly because of the actors, particularly Krasinski, Kendrick and Martindale. When I finally got around to watching it, it was exactly what I expected and also nothing like I expected at the same time. And here's why: The plot has been done many times before. Dysfunctional family is brought together by an illness or some kind of conflict. Each has their own personal struggles which run under the surface of the main plot. Family realises that the true happiness in life is each other. "The Hollars" manages to do that a little differently, although that's not necessarily a good thing...The movie simply has too much going on to ever really focus on one storyline in enough depth to make it succeed. The main plot that is detailed in the summary regarding Sally Hollar's illness almost seems like a subplot at sometimes, taking the backseat to John's drama or Ron's drama or Don's drama. Yes, those are their names. I like that each character is complex with their own personal lives outside of the story arc, but too many things are focused on when more time could have been spent with Margo Martindale's terrific performance than with Josh Groban. I was also particularly confused at the brevity of some of the story lines that ran throughout. Once it was introduced, I expected the storyline with Mary Elizabeth Winstead's unhappy Gwen and her husband, Jason who also happens to be Sally's nurse and John's old classmate. Oh yeah, Gwen is also John's ex girlfriend. But John is now dating and having a baby with Rebecca. You can read how 'Gossip Girl' it all sounds. Thankfully, there are some strong points. The soundtrack was lovely, highlighting some really poignant moments that needed no dialogue. I don't think any dialogue would have made them work but the music was really lovely. Krasinski seems to know what he's doing in terms of direction and his performance was good, too. Not exceptional, but it was a lead performance. Though it's the supporting actors that take the spotlight this time around. Anna Kendrick spent the first half of the movie trying to find out who her character actually was and then redeemed herself in the second half. Richard Jenkins had a strong outing as Don Hollar, though the bouts of crying were a tad excessive and over-dramatised at points. Sharlto Copley was good, too, standing out as a true supporting actor. Others such as Charlie Day and the aforementioned Mary Elizabeth Winstead were convincing in their small roles. But really it's Martindale who steals the show. Predictably. It's a role she could really nail. I'm proclaiming her the queen of supporting roles, for she always make them more like a lead. She always brings a certain charm to her roles that make you want more of her. Having seen her shine in "The Americans" and "The Good Wife", I was excited to see her performance. And what a turn it is. Martindale does what she does best. Acts the hell out of any character. If the awards season wasn't plagued with outstanding acting performances all around, Martindale could potentially have been a contender with the right voters.