Wednesday, January 22, 2025

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‘Smiley Face’ Gets Surprisingly Good Reviews; Film Is Actually Terrible

Remember “Smiley Face”? It was the film by normally sexually transgressive filmmaker Gregg Araki that was supposed to come out on 4.20.07 (4.20, get it, get it?!?).

Then it got bumped to late summer, then bumped again and then eventually got shelved to a straight-to-DVD release. However, at the last minute it made it into a few select theaters in NYC and L.A. and it gained some glowing reviews.

The Village Voice loved it, Premiere’s Glen Kenny called it, “mind-bogglingly funny” (he placed it as 19 on his top 25 list of ’07) and we all of a sudden became intrigued. Or rather suckered by the retards that loved it.

The film legitimately starts out funny. Anna Faris is note-perfect as the dumb, clueless stoner, her mishaps are idiotic-funny and the premise is just aptly absurd (she eats a bunch of her roommates pot cupcakes which sets forth a chain reaction of trying-to-fix-it events that always end disastrously). Is she a cute, funny little stoner? Yes. Does shit get old fast? Holy hell, yes. It’s a 10-minute skit drawn out over say, 90 minutes that progressively gets worse and eventually becomes intolerable. Near the halfway mark the film goes completely off the rails. Yes, you’re probably supposed to watch it stoned; that still shouldn’t be the case. The supporting cast of Danny Masterson, John Krasinski and Adam Brody should help the film’s case. They don’t (Brody is actually pretty terrible).

The film features tracks by the Chemical Brothers, Ladytron, Scissor Sisters and an admittedly hilarious and well-used scene that intensifies Faris’ ridiculous paranoia is scored to the Talking Heads’ “Memories Can’t Wait,” (“There’s a party in my mind and I hope it never stops!” Byrne warbles spookily as Faris dumps high-grade medical marijuana down a toilet), but otherwise this is tedious, one-note gag that’s a waste of your time.

Must keep remind ourselves: Never trust Gregg Araki, never trust Gregg Araki.
[C-]

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10 COMMENTS

  1. You know, I love the blog, but after seeing ‘Control’ and remembering that your review was the reason I didn’t see it until I got my hands on the screener… well, I can’t really trust your movie reviews anymore.

    sorry, read the blog for the info, but your reviews are suspect.

  2. Not just control…a lot of times you miss the mark..I think sometimes you confuse having taste with being a condescending elitist…as is the standard hazard of becoming a critic

  3. I’m not one to critisize the way you think. But I watched that movie not knowing it ever existed and absolutly LOVED it all the way until the end.

    I’ve read I do believe two blogs from you about this movie. I don’t think you realise not everyone thinks the same way as you do…So don’t tell us not to trust thoughs other people who gave it a thumbs up. You are in tittled to your own opinion but just because you thought the movie sucked and their opinions were out to fool us doesn’t mean we agree. I personally bought the movie my self and have watched it over and over again several different times. It doesn’t get old to me. Anyone out there looking for a laugh I suggest you watch this movie. It was great. Especially if you’ve ever been high/baked/stoned what ever you want to call it. You know exactly what this girl is going through.

    Not to mention she is an incredible actress. I love every movie she is in…a side from Scarey Movies. Those get old FAST!

  4. this movie had two seens that were funny – her falling out of the car, and the lasagna – besides that horrible movie with such great actors, wtf

  5. Someone here knows what was the song when she is behind the truck where there is a pig drawed. This music appears a lot of times in the movie.

    I Need this music… :/

    Sorry for my bad english and thanks you

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