This is one of the most mainstream movies in the mumblecore movement, mainly because of the actors used, but otherwise it is completely of the genre. In fact, in a genre that relies on awkwardness, this is one of the most uncomfortable films of the past couple of years. Cyrus, which was written and directed by two of the main figures in the mumblecore scene, Mark and Jeff Duplass, stars Jonah Hill, John C. Reilly and Marisa Tomei. John (Reilly) is a divorced man who is stuck in a rut when he is dragged to a party by his ex-wife and her new fiancé. There he meets the beautiful and incredibly charming Molly (Tomei) who, inexplicably, seems interested in the schlubby John. Molly seems just about perfect, except for her odd relationship with her adult son Cyrus (Hill). They are just a bit too close. For example, Cyrus walks into the washroom just as Molly is getting out of the shower and they seem completely at ease with it. What really makes this an excellent movie is the acting. If it was anyone else but Molly, John should probably walk away, but Tomei plays Molly so well that she is almost addictive. It almost actually kind of makes sense as to why Cyrus is so attached to her, even though its his own mother. So for the record, that is how good Tomei is - she can make this weird situation understandable. Still, what Cyrus is about how weird we can all be and how love makes us all a bit stranger. Its a wildly entertaining and unpredictable romantic comedy.
