NMR: Everything Must Go

This is a somewhat historic review as it is the last movie that I'll watch from Netflix on DVD. Like many Americans, I was not pleased with Netflix's decision to raise their subscription prices. It's a move that clearly seems designed to phase out the hard disc side of their business. For now, I'll remain a streaming customer, but since most of the movies available on their streaming service are older films, I'm not sure how many of them I'll actually bother reviewing on the blog. If they don't improve and update their library, Netflix could be losing me as a customer altogether. So from now on, all of the new movies I rent will come from Redbox. As a result, I'll begin using the code RBR (Redbox Review) in the titles of these reviews.

As for this movie, if you're not familiar with the title, this was a small dramedy that was screened in theaters last May starring Will Ferrell as a man who's losing everything in his life. On the same day he gets fired, he comes home only to learn that his wife has left him and placed all of his possessions on their front lawn. Frustrated and mad, Ferrell decides to simply live on his lawn as a form of protest against everything that's happened to him. Of course, in doing so we see him engage and talk with people who show him a reason to go on and have a happy life. Ferrell, a man mostly known for his comedic roles, does a nice job here pulling off the drama, although I wasn't as sold that he was as big of an alcoholic as the movie claimed he was. I also liked the smaller performances from people like Rebecca Hall, Michael Pena, and Stephen Root. Overall though, I just felt as if there was nothing here. There wasn't a deep enough exploration into either any of the characters nor the story hook about living on the lawn. It's as if we see the whole story from some unseen neighbor living on the street who's watching these events unfold from afar. If you like smaller independent films, you may find this appealing, but I would imagine those who are fans of Ferrell's films like Anchorman or Talladega Nights will likely be bored by this. Rating: *** 1/2