Cyrus (2010)
Certified: 16
Duration: 91 minutes
Directed by: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass
Starring: John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei, Catherine Keener, Matt Walsh
KRS release

Cyrus is a small independent film that benefits mostly from its excellent cast. Anyone on the lookout for the Hollywood-style polished romantic comedy will probably consider Cyrus too slow and meandering. However, those looking for something subtle – one which is more intent on digging into the emotions and the mechanisms of the dependency that people build around each other – will find a lot to like in this quirky film.

If you boil the story down, it is all about a lonely divorcee, a love hungry mother who is caught in a tug-of-war between a lover and her son. Thankfully, the mum in question is Marisa Tomei who can play sexy, quirky and emotional with versatility.

John C. Reilly plays John, who has been divorced for the last 10 years and is lonely, moody and is no fun to be with at all. His ex-wife (Catherine Keener) is about to get married and would like him to settle down as she feels very sorry for him.

In comes Molly (Marisa Tomei), a woman he meets at a party. She looks quite interested in him but whenever they sleep together, he wakes up to find an empty bed. He starts thinking she is married but soon discovers that she has a son, who is in his early 20s.

Jonah Hill is Cyrus, an aspiring musician, who takes his mother for walks every day and is into photography. When he finds out about John, he enters an emotional battle with him over who will hold Molly’s attention most.

The woman has kept Cyrus under her wing for too long, making him overtly dependent on her. Besides, he is very manipulative: he controls her every move with his lies and frequent panic attacks – real and feigned. When John starts sleeping over at Molly’s, trouble escalates. At times the film makes us think that it might turn into some sort of thriller; however, it does not swerve from its intention and delivers the quirky and emotional drama that it promises.

The film sometimes bombards the audience with simply too much dialogue; at other moments, it meanders all over the place as if not sure of the direction it will take. The film’s focus is mostly on the battle of wills and, up to a certain point, the relationship building between the characters played by Mr Reilly and Mr Hill. The two are simply like bulls staring each other down and they look so natural whenever they fight. There is a comic side to their acting but also a dose of the bizarre. The film also touch on the ages-old idea that boys raised without a father figure end up being emotionally lacking which is a bit of a too general and sweeping statement for a film to make.

The ending is too syrupy sweet and seems made on purpose to appeal to a mainstream audience. As a whole, the film is uneven but has enough going for it to make it an interesting watch for the discerning viewer and for anyone who wants to wade into this emotional minefield.