Director: Andrew Bujalski Starring: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi Writer: Andrew Bujalski | 3.5/5 Results There’s usually a point in a director’s journey where he or she makes what is dubbed as their “commercial film,” whether it be Richard Linklater making a family film about a rock-n-roll substitute or Jon Favreau selling his soul to Marvel. Sometimes, as is the case with these two films, the directors bring along just the right amount of their indie soul to elevate the project so that it stands up against anything in their repertoire. Results, the new film from Andrew Bujalski (Computer Chess) about how one rich, miserable bum affects the lives of two personal trainers, is not a failure, but it rarely reaches the heights of School of Rock or Ironman. After two major, life-changing events - a divorce and the attaining of a massive inheritance -, Danny (Kevin Corrigan, successfully showing us the vulnerability in his character’s man-child behavior, something Vince Vaughn can’t figure out) is anything but happy. He’s the kind of guy that finds no joy in his newly-acquired millions; the kind of guy who pays local kids three hundred bucks just to come over for a few minutes to fix his TV. He craves companionship, but he’s too wounded from his recent split. His only goal is to work out and train enough to be able to take a punch, and this is what leads him to Bujalski’s other two leads. |
Kat, played wonderfully by How I Met Your Mother alum Cobie Smulders, is a personal trainer desperate for clients and hungry for something more in life. Her boss Trevor, played by the ever-great Guy Pearce, is a gym-owner eager to expand a brand that he believes in with all his heart. We also soon find out that there might have been past sparks between the two. With this much information coming into the picture early on, it’s not hard to put together the puzzle pieces on where Results is leading us.
And so we find ourselves back to my initial point. This is Bujalski’s rom-com. Packed with enough rated-R humor, predictable romances, and melodrama to satisfy any 21st century teenybopper, this is undoubtedly the director’s most marketable film to date. Because of the talent of his incredible cast and the fact that Bujalski is still a remarkable talent, Results could never be a failure. Sure, it does not exactly set itself apart, but at its core is a stellar reflection on how certain distractions get in our way of being who we are. We all know that money cannot buy happiness, but Results makes the case that obsessive self-improvement - working out, eating healthy, too many inspirational quotes - can be just as destructive. Its people that make life worth living, and that is something that Bujalski never forgets. It’s hard not to redeem a with such human, emotional intentions.
(Available on iTunes)
And so we find ourselves back to my initial point. This is Bujalski’s rom-com. Packed with enough rated-R humor, predictable romances, and melodrama to satisfy any 21st century teenybopper, this is undoubtedly the director’s most marketable film to date. Because of the talent of his incredible cast and the fact that Bujalski is still a remarkable talent, Results could never be a failure. Sure, it does not exactly set itself apart, but at its core is a stellar reflection on how certain distractions get in our way of being who we are. We all know that money cannot buy happiness, but Results makes the case that obsessive self-improvement - working out, eating healthy, too many inspirational quotes - can be just as destructive. Its people that make life worth living, and that is something that Bujalski never forgets. It’s hard not to redeem a with such human, emotional intentions.
(Available on iTunes)