Are You Here

Millennium Entertainment

Matthew Weiner created "Mad Men," which means he gets a lifetime pass for all the horrible indie movies he is apt to make in the future. If I hadn't known he had written and directed this film I'm sure I wouldn't have tried to find positives in its ridiculous plot, abominable characters, and strange choices in tone and style, but I did. Matthew Weiner has created a rather bland narrative, seen time and again, but at least the actors associated with it did their best.

 I suppose our main character is Steve Dallas, played by the always affable Owen Wilson. Steve is a weatherman who smokes way too much weed, peeps on his neighbor constantly, and makes himself feel better by checking in on his mess of a best friend Ben, played by Galifanakis. Ben is ridiculous in all the worst ways: he is paranoid, weirdly passionate about nature to the nth degree, and he freaks out with physical violence at any provocation. The trailer promotes his character quirks as humorous but dark, when in the film they're simply weird and out of place. Throughout the film it comes to light that Ben is suffering from severe mental illness, and when he becomes clean cut many of his quirks disappear. He no longer cares about the environment, drugs, or much else, and assumes the identity of a bland nothing, which is a horrible characterization of people with mental illness.

 Wilson's character isn't much better, as he constantly whines about his friend, tries to get a beautiful tree chopped down so he can be a peeping tom, and he slut shames a woman he barely knows because he had his eye on her. Poehler is underused, and her entire performance yields a shrew-like act as his slighted sister. Though she seems multi-faceted in the beginning, as a woman trying to get pregnant and wanting to take over her father's work, she quickly devolves and disappears off-screen to make room for the bumbling pair.

 Overall there are solid, dramatic moments for all three, but they are few and far between. The story and characters are flavorless and boring and besides name recognition for all those involved, there's nothing memorable about this indie film.