OK, so I have to say, any movie about porn, well, conjures up the idea that you're going to have nudity all over the place. Yet somehow this film about porn has next to none of it, and that's a good thing. In the place of bare asses, it has some great performances and funny sequences. Notably Jeff Bridges' character channels a Dude-like vibe while still feeling fresh and different. Joey Pants is bizarre and at the same time likable in his role whose name you just need to watch to see and laugh at. Finally Ted Danson is so completely cast against everything I have seen him in previously and it works. It's a sad state of affairs in Hollywood when you see a preview for a film like this and cringe, knowingly the almost inevitable result would be a lame script with called-in performances. Thankfully, the result is an unexpectedly good natured romp
about porn. I hope this film gets the attention and wide release it deserves.
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gigasteve26 March 2006I just got back tonight from an early screening of a new movie with Jeff Bridges called The Amateurs at Penn State. The movie was originally meant to be screened last month, with an appearance by co-star Joe Pantoliano. Joey Pants did come (his daughter is a student here), but technical difficulties plagued the screening twenty minutes in. Joe was very apologetic and stayed to answer questions for a while and in the meantime they set up another screening for tonight. No Joe tonight (he's apparently filming a new pilot for CBS about waterfront crime), but the movie did work so I can tell you what it's all about.
Jeff Bridges stars as a recent divorcée who is down on his luck in a small town. Looking for a way to make it big and have the means to spoil his son, he decides to make a porn movie. He does this with the help of his supportive friends, including Pantoliano, Ted Danson, William Fichtner, Tim Blake Nelson and Patrick Fugit. Their film will be distinctive because it will be made by and feature talent from their own small town. Now I know this entire plot sounds kind of corny but it is well executed everyone laughed pretty hard throughout.
Besides having a great cast, what makes this movie different is that it is a sex comedy for and by adults. This may be a tough sell, but I can say that at least half of tonight's audience was definitely professors and community members, rather than students. Though there is little nudity or hard language, this is an R-movie because of its frank discussion of sex. It's funny because these guys are trying to be respectful by replacing words for genitalia with other appropriate, but ridiculous terms.
As I mentioned, the cast was great and everyone was prefect for their role. Pantoliano plays the appropriately named writer-director of the production, Some Idiot. Danson plays a gay friend who tries too hard at hiding his sexual orientation, making for some very funny and awkward moments. Fichtner does a really good job with making a fairly plain character entertaining and fun to watch. Bridges plays a loser in the vein of "The Dude", except he's got it together a little more and is a little cleaner cut. About half of Bridges performance is voice-over as well, which was done fairly well. My biggest complaint would be that their female characters receive very little screen time and are underdeveloped. The cut we saw really underused Lauren Graham and Judy Greer.
The film was written and directed by Michael Traeger, whose most notable previous credit was writing the script of MTV's Dead Man on Campus (ouch). The script was really funny and the direction was suitable, though not very special. Based on what Joe said at the first screening, it sounds like they will only be changing the opening of the film so the cut I saw was pretty close to finished. I believe it will be hitting theaters late spring/early summer. All in all it was an entertaining little indie comedy and its worth checking out for a good laugh. -
The_BIGGEST_Critic20 February 2008The Amateurs (formerly known in the USA as The Moguls) is a really fun, nicely directed movie with heart. Slightly odd, quirky characters banding together to make a porno movie, and getting much more in the process.
There were very few stereotypes in this movie (Ernest, played by Troy Brenna was one) and the story was unpredictable and fun to follow. I appreciate that many of the characters, whom you would normally presume are just there as comic relief, really become significant for other reasons. Some scenes were flat out hilarious (Watch Eileen Brennan in the few scenes she's given).
The matter of fact way that the characters approach making their film provides some of the great moments in this movie.
I highly recommend "The Amateurs" because it's just a great way to spend an evening.
The BIGGEST Critic -
Saw the World Premiere and Santa Barbara Int'l FF last night.
A very funny film with an all star cast. Stars Jeff Bridges, Joe Patalinano, Ted Danson, Tim Blake Nelson, Bill Fichtner, Pat Fugit among others. Bridges plays a small time guy who has been unsuccessful in life. Him and his low life buddies decide to make an amateur porn film. Lots of big laughs. It is like State and Main meets Boogie Nights. Bridges is always good and Ted Danson gives one of the funniest supporting comedic performances I have ever seen. The end seemed a bit thrown together, but very funny. I give it a "B+". Will be out later this year -
bopdog29 April 2006Jeff Bridges is one of my favorite actors; Tim Blake Nelson, Joe Pants, and Glenn Headley, while not my 'faves', are nonetheless always a good supporting cast, sturdy character actors. Anyway, I was predisposed to like this movie, and I kinda did. It wasn't a great movie, which was a surprise and a disappointment. It was sort of dim, and had--- not a darkness, exactly--- but a kind of a threadbare-ness, a shabbiness about it. It wasn't just that the characters portrayed were low-lifes, poor, uneducated, and mostly losers (albeit kindly ones). The dimness went deeper than that. Maybe the film was blurred, or the lighting wasn't crisp--- dunno. But SOMETHING was 'off', like milk on the last day of its shelf life. You keep asking yourself--- has this gone bad? But then, you keep drinking it.
And the studio changed the movie's name. I saw it in Wales (in the UK), months ago. Evidently the advance buzz was pretty bad. So they changed it from 'The Moguls' to 'The Amateurs'. A sure sign of desperation. But, alas, that's not going to save it.
Jeff Bridges plays lovable, 'ordinary' guys that are extra solid, and extra real. He plays characters that are very easy for a man (I'm about his age, and coincidentally lived in Santa Barbara, his town, for years) to relate to. At least I do. It appears, based on his wide appeal, that women like him too. I also admire him for eschewing the Red Carpet, paparazzi-chasing kind of celebrity grab that so many other actors have fallen prey to (IMHO: Brad Pitt, Ben Afflect, Julia Roberts, to name but a few). Unfortunately, the tone set here was either missed, or set too low. Bridge's characters, and the supporting cast's characters, are just too loser-y, too dim, too depressing.
This movie also reminded me of 'The Big Lebowski'--- another Jeff Bridges movie, and another dark-ish movie about low-lifes, but one that was much, much better done than 'The Moguls' (now known as 'The Amateurs'). The derivativeness kind of rankled with me a bit.
This movie could have been brighter, funnier, and stronger. It could have been better. It has a few things to admire, though, so if you've seen everything else at your theater, or nothing else strikes your fancy, try this one. And, let's all hope meanwhile that Jeff Bridges' next movie will be more like his usual great work. -
ruudsach8 April 2009Let me spoil some party, there is no nudity in this movie.
There are few simulated sex acts. I watched it on TV. This movie is about a father who wants to do something in life, so that his son feels proud of him, so he comes up with an idea to make a porn film.
Since its a small town, he finds it hard to prepare script and find actors for the movie. That itself is the movie. There are few smile scenes, no outright laughing scenes.
Don't watch these movie, if you expect some nudity or sex scenes or comedy, because it provides nothing of that sort. But it is cute movie, with no bathroom humour. Dialogue in this movie is what to watch out for. It is not extraordinary, but that is the only sexual content in this movie.
Nice movie to watch at night. -
ithinktfiam17 February 2007He's been playing the same character for a while now. Admittedly, he does a better and low-key job in this than The Big Leibowski, but he seems to be coasting the last few years. A bunch of very good actors playing in a small movie makes this an above average movie, but not by much.
It's another bunch of middle-aged losers trying for their moment of glory. This time, it's a group of bar flies (which the name of their softball team recognizes) who get together and try to produce their own amateur porn movie. All the typical comedy situations you'd expect occur. Much of the humor is provided by Bridges' characters voice over, especially some admitting to obvious foreshadowing.
As mentioned, it's very predictable, with no real surprises but is saved by most of the supporting actors playing it very naturally. The only ones who go overboard are Bridges and Danson but not by much. Overall it's a nice movie to rent for some laughs -
This movie is disappointing. Not really funny, totally predictable and even boring at times.
It is a comedy supposedly, but I never caught myself laughing or even chuckling. Even worse, I was bored to the point that I left the movie running while I went get myself another drink. Sorry, but that is a death penalty for any movie! (by the way, I like slow movies, and I don't usually lose patience easily.)
What really got on my nerves however, was the pretentiousness of the film. Ostensibly playing with the well-worn plot twists in other movies ("I'll tell you right now that xyz is going to happen, because I won't pretend you don't see it coming"), it does the same thing, seemingly without noticing. Who could miss the little guy filming everything ALL the time? Who could miss the symbolic nature of the unmade bed RIGHT from the start? By the time it became clear those laboriously stressed points were actually turning out as plot twist, I lost interest completely and had to force myself to watch the end, which proved to be as lame and predictable as expected.
On the plus side, the acting was not so bad, considering the lame, clichéd and uninteresting characters the actors had to portrait. Some scenes were borderline funny (such as the opening scene in the basketball store).
1 for acting 1 for premise 1 for the occasional highlight
Rating: 3 out of 10 -
bgpetrarca23 April 2006For those of you in search of a movie that will make you laugh, here is your pick. I have read comments from users saying that this movie "didn't seem real" or "wasn't believable". To you, I ask: What did you think you were watching? I saw this screening at the Newport Film Festival and thought it was amazing. Some movies (gasp) are out there to entertain and this does just that... fantastically. It is a story that laughs at the ups and downs of the human experience while portraying the sometimes very harsh reality of middle-class struggle. It gives us a story we recognize to a certain extent, but garnishes it with a great variety of endearing characters. As an example the group of "guys" has a wonderfully accepted gay guy who asked the guys to call him MOOSE. (played oh-so-well by Ted Danson) We see the standard group of small town guys, going nowhere with their lives, yet they aren't the stereotypical unrelatable morons of modern day cinema; They, in a very round about and strange way, have morals and try to do well in life, despite their position. Go see this movie... it is a wonderful treat and a great time at the theatre.
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jotix10028 May 2008Recently divorced Andy wants some excitement out of his dreary life in a small town. After giving thought to any number of possibilities, he decides to interest many of his friends into going along in making a porno film. This preposterous idea catches the town's imagination. They all agree it's an excellent way to make some money and have fun while at it. The only problem is Andy, or his cronies have no clue as how to go about it.
"The Moguls", written and directed by Michael Traeger is a film with no agenda to wow the viewer and that is why it is the fun it is to watch. The director was blessed in assembling the best cast money could buy. After all, a film with Jeff Bridges in it can't be bad. Mr. Bridges is one of our best film actors in that he is so adaptable to whatever part he plays that it is always a pleasure to see him on the screen. He is totally sincere in his approach to acting, perhaps the best asset any actor could have.
Tim Blake Nelson, Joe Pantoliano, Ted Danson, Glenne Headley, Jane Tripplehorn, William Fichtner, Patrick Fugit, among others, act as an ensemble team, no doubt inspired by Mr. Traeger, who gets good results out of the talented cast he put together.
The film doesn't ask anything out of the viewer. So just relax and have fun watching it. -
You may remember a little movie being advertised back in 2005 called The Moguls. It starred Jeff Bridges playing a riff on his "Dude" persona and a whole load of other respected character actors such as William Fichtner, Joe Pantoliano, Tim Blake Nelson, John Hawkes, promising up and comer Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous) and Ted Danson. The film looked amusing, quite possibly a fine night in, one could do much worse. Time goes by and we hear nothing more about it. Then suddenly, out of the blue in November 2007, we begin to see a little movie being advertised called The Amateurs, a sweet little comedy romp starring Jeff Bridges, Ted Danson and a host of respected talent.
The reason for this pull back and re-release is simple. The Moguls, The Amateurs or whatever you want to call it, just isn't very good. In fact, it stinks like a big pile of dirty knickers. Brace yourself, because now, I'm going to tell you why.
The Moguls/Amateurs begins with Andy (Bridges) a divorcée who visits his son on his birthday to discover that his ex's new partner is filthy rich. Andy goes to his local bar, head hanging, realising he's never done anything with his life. Finally, Andy comes to the conclusion that the only way to win his son's respect is - to make a porno.
As we are introduced one by one to the characters, we meet Mo and Ron. Of course, they call them Mo-Ron. We also meet a character named Some Idiot. ("Amateur porn, the stuff that Any Idiot can make with his video camera," "hey Some Idiot's got a brother!") Moose (Danson) is gay, but doesn't want anyone to know, yet of course, they all do because he acts like your average stereotypical homosexual. Crickets. Tumbleweed. Otis, played by William Fichtner, wants to know if there's a guy who just stands around on the set and so he is made executive producer of the porno. And so the lazily written and completely unnecessary voice over goes on, pointing out each and every thing in the movie that we can quite clearly see or work out for ourselves. Andy's inner monologue delights in it's quirky pausing of the film to slip in a quick jokey point about a character or point something out to us that we may need to know later on. A neon sign saying "Look! Look here for a plot point!" would have been less obvious. This voice-over even has the audacity to tell us that when making a film, one of the main things you must do is to show and not tell. You would think that writer-director Michael Traeger would have caught the irony.
This opening half hour is rushed and unconvincing, with very little actual character development with which to care about anything that's going on. A film similar in overall character to this one would be Dodgeball in which we have a group of likable underdogs who are not only developed but have quirks that are actually quirky. Here, the characters only need a few seconds of pointless voice over to describe their entire lives and make the caricatures of Poseidon look they strolled right out of Of Mice and Men.
The script itself is a lame duck and that reflects in the performances. There are, for example, some potentially funny situations put forth here, for example the porno production meeting at Some Idiot's house where he lives with his mother, but the execution is so bland that none of the actual comedy gets across. Another scene in which Andy has an argument in a crowded coffee shop with Isiah Washington about big black phalli as customers leave in disgust also falls short and ends up being a tad racist as well as being as unfunny as, well, someone shouting the word 'd*ck' in a coffee shop. The constant, feeble, desperate attempts at euphemistic humour are about as funny as listening to a conversation between a group of 14 year old boys giggling about sex.
A burning question here is, how, if the entire crew are made to stand with their backs turned the entire way through shooting a scene, do the pans and alternative angles get in there? Extraordinary. How do industry professionals get it so wrong? You'd think they would be their own technical advisors. As it is, the cinematography in this film is flat and uninteresting, making Year of the Dog look positively vibrant.
One wonders how this cast were attracted to such a script. Lauren Graham seems to be wondering exactly what it is she's doing there as her character is nothing but a potential love interest for Bridges to bumble over. Ten Danson's buttocks look to be particularly self conscious, an image that I would have quite happily gone without. It's not sordid enough to be shocking or daring and not amiable enough to be sweet or heart warming. By the end, the film has degenerated into one big schmaltzy love-in without having earned it, culminating in an awful slow motion conga montage of respected talent acting elated in the most unconvincing way possible. The final 'twist' ending, if you can call it that, is at first glance interesting and suggests that there may be hope for the film yet, but the neatness of it all brings us right back to contrivance once again, inane voice over checking the characters' fates off the list one by one as it did at the start.
It's easy to see why this film was so desperately pulled and re-issued under the guise of quirky low budget indie. Apparently, the film is slightly re-edited in it's 2007 form, although I can scarcely imagine that a few re-cuts could improve on such a dud. I wonder if writer-director Michael Traeger really does believe that Any Idiot can make a movie. Maybe he should have just let him. -
This movie was hilarious. Jeff Bridges plays Andy, a divorced guy visiting his son on his birthday. His ex-wife married a really rich guy, and Andy's worried that his son won't appreciate him anymore because he doesn't have as much money. So he comes up with an idea to make a bunch of money, make a local porno film with all of the town people involved.
The set up isn't so great, but the film is filled with so many actors and a lot of great comedy, it doesn't really matter. And when I say so many actors, I mean it, everyone in the film is a recognizable face. Jeff Bridges, Joe Pantoliano, Patrick Fugit, Tim Blake Nelson, William Fichtner, Ted Danson, and those are just the main characters. Ted Danson is hysterical playing the gay guy in the group who poorly tries to hide the fact that he's gay. And if anyone ever wanted to see Ted Danson naked, this is the film for you. Joe Pantoliano also does a great job in the film playing Some Idiot (yes, that's his character's name) the writer/director of the porno.
It's a great movie, very funny with a lot of great quotes. I just wish the ending could have been expanded a bit more, but oh well. Look out for this one. -
I am a total sucker for movies about small towns and how they band together for a common cause. "Doc Hollywood" comes to mind. This movie is about Andy (Bridges), an unemployed okie think-tank who believes that he can catch lighting in a bottle with a grand idea. The grand idea being that porno makes money therefore, he can cash in on an amateur market. Enlisting the help of his buddies, they set out to shoot one with hilarious obstacles along the way.
The plot is somewhat inconsequential to the relationships between the men. I can feel that they all had a hand in never allowing each other to evolve. You can tell it is an extended family. So, it's not difficult to see how Andy never got a chance to grow up.
There's a sweetness to this movie that a more cynical viewer may not enjoy. There is the dark undercurrent of pornography that isn't really addressed except to say that with enough money (or sometimes lack of) anyone can be available. I, for one, enjoyed that they relished in attempting to recruit their own townspeople. Most whom we've assumed are more moral than they prove to be.
I especially enjoyed the references to filmmaking. Mostly conversations friends and I have had. Which seem silly now. But between the learning curve of saying and doing, it becomes a LOT more funny, since the naive attitude leads to some disappointments.
A fun watch. Would love to see this director make another project. -
tracampanella14 April 2008How did this cast assemble for such a bad film and bad script? The whole basis of the movie (a small town bands together to make a porno) has no motivation: Jeff Bridges is sitting in a bar then suddenly starts having a seizure and next thing you know he wants to make a porno!? The directing is extremely sloppy, amateurish, and stilted. The cinematography is horrible...why is this whole movie shot in muted colors?? Jeff Bridge's voice over, throughout the movie, must have been added after editing to help move things along but it's just repetitious, distracting, and annoying. (Believe me, I never thought I would say Jeff Bridges is annoying.) It's unfortunate that such a good cast was completely wasted. I hope Kevin Smith's attempt at this genre (he's coming out with a similar movie about amateurs making a porno) is better than this rubbish.
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billcr1215 April 2012The Amateurs or the original title, The moguls, stars Jeff Bridges, who gathers together five friends to make a porno movie, because, like Ralph Kramden of the Honeymooners, he is always coming up with schemes to get rich quick.
Andy(Bridges) is having his usual run of bad luck, having just gone through a divorce and to make matters worse, his ex-wife has married a rich guy. He believes that the adult film route is the easiest way to make a buck quickly, and as a consequence , win back his ex and their son.
He has a cameraman who is really a kid who happens to own a video camera. His director is known as Some Idiot(Joe Pantoliano of Sopranos fame) and the male lead is Moose(Ted Danson) who is suspected of being gay, which leads to the funniest scene of this screwball comedy. The biggest casting surprise is Valerie Perrine as one of the female performers. She still looks great at 62. The Amateurs is not a masterpiece, but the fine cast make it a passable diversion. -
atlasmb20 July 2023This film has a large contingent of recognizable actors (from Valerie Perrine to Lauren Graham, from Jeff Bridges to Steven Weber), but it falls far short of its potential. For a comedy, it is very low key. Most of the humor derives from attempts to be odd or different. But characters are not well developed.
Andy (Jeff Bridges) decides to create an explicitly sexual film, and his friends and acquaintances all join in the project. He narrates the film as the production has its ups and downs. In a stab at humor that is nonetheless true, Andy tells viewers that "movies are supposed to show, not tell".
In the end, this film is not very funny and not very interesting. It is difficult to understand how so many talented people thought this would be a worthwhile project. -
KUAlum2621 September 2010Andy Sargentee(Jeff Bridges,somewhere between'Lebowski'and,well...some other characters he's played before)is an affable schmo who cannot seem to keep a job nor his marriage,which wouldn't probably trouble him too much were it not for the fact that he loses contact with this teenage son,who he feels is becoming less impressed or needing for him. On an average evening in the local watering hole,Andy has a moment of clarity: he needs money...what is a profitable line of business...PORN!
He assembles his cadre of locals in the small town he lives: the shy,studious sort who still lives at home(Joe Pantoliano),the "Gay-but-he-doesn't-know-it" longtime pal(Ted Danson),the twitchy,loserish wannabe grounds-keeper(William Fichter),a lonely,heartsick longtime buddy(Tim Blake Nelson)who is torn between trying to entice his longtime interest(Glenne Headley)into doing the porn and instead just breaking down and professing love for her,the local video store clerk/film student(Patrick Fugit)and various others(some ladies,mostly men)to produce,write,cast and film the porn. The ensuing events are neither too predictable nor particularly surprising,but they DO have their own elements of charm.
A low energy,chock-full of quasi-cameos(short list:Steven Weber,Brad Garrett,Judy Greer,Jeanne Tripplehorn,Valerie Perrine),directed and written by Michael Traeger,this movie neither possesses the large idea concept or ambition to be given much shrift for large market distribution(and this is a rare time when I mostly agree with that move)nor does it feel like this film lacks any ingenuity to make it merely an "afterthought"(i.e. another romantic comedy/drama,another stock family drama etc.)movie that quickly goes to video and/or cable. The show's unique idea,fine casting(if nothing exceptional acting-wise from anyone involved)and warm,pleasant play out make this worth the time to watch. Using a narrative element(with Bridges' Andy as the narrator,of course),this has an almost wistful and matter of fact quality which seems strangely informative. Probably can be found in the many piles of cheap purchases at stores like Walgreen's or CVS or any supermarket chain store(which is where I got my copy). If you got a high tolerance for "questionable" material for a quirky comedy,give this one a try. -
The tagline on the back of the DVD is from Jeff Bridges himself. Not a good sign when you have your lead actor plugging your movie on its cover instead of a critic. His quote is, "It's like if Frank Capra had made a porno."
Well, you can see how he might say that since this takes place in a small town and is filled with working class characters. But Frank Capra had respect for working class people, where everyone in The Amateurs seems to have only condescension for them.
Within two minutes of the film's beginning we see Jeff Bridges peeing on his boss, without being given a reason. Seconds later we see his friends Mo and Ron (collectively known as MoRon...isn't that funny!) approach him in a bar with very exaggerated gestures because he is, (gasp!), THINKING!
Not a single character rises to an adequate level of believability to sympathize with them, and to those who say this is "just a comedy" and "you shouldn't expect it to be believable" I would point out Christopher Guest films like "Waiting For Guffman," which has a similar small- town-production plot but has very realistic characters and as a result is a thousand times funnier.
Instead we get scenes like the one in the dugout where all the guys are literally grunting Tim Taylor style and toasting their beers "To porn!" It's not that guys don't do this, but they do it with a little self-awareness. These characters are 100% earnest, 100% dumb. And not the fun-to-watch kind. The poorly-written kind.
If you think small town folks are idiots or enjoy pretending they are, you may enjoy The Amateurs, but you would do far better watching "The Full Monty." -
jandsbrulz1 May 2006I just got back form a sneak preview of the film at SUNY Farmingdale. William Fichtner happened to be an alumni and so he managed to get a showing at my school. This film was overall very well written and funny. it has many classic lines an memorable parts. Not only was the film written really well but the cast did an amazing job. The version i saw was called the moguls but since the studio thought that i would get confused with a skiing movie they changed the title. Also the version i saw i was told is going to be slightly different form what is going to be opening in NY and LA. The movie was hilarious and i recommend going to see it. its going to be opening in only 6 screens in July but hopefully with good support will get picked up by more theaters.
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brian_r_wright1 April 2008To me this film seems to require a certain viewing environment to properly appreciate, i.e. it's probably not a family movie, even for the Osbournes of the world. What I mean is it will be embarrassing from the language standpoint if you're watching it with a person who's a generation or two one way or the other. The main characters are Boomer age, living in a small town with not too many opportunities for fulfillment, much less greatness. But they don't need great, they have one another and a solid conviction their de facto leader Andy Sargentee will come up with an idea one day that will get them out of their rut.
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For my complete review of this movie and for other movie and book reviews, please visit my site TheCoffeeCoaster.com.
Brian Wright Copyright 2008 -
itamarscomix14 January 2012The real mystery of The Moguls is how so many incredibly talented actors agreed to take part - I'm guessing they lost some kind of bet. First rate character actors Jeff Bridges, William Fichtner, Joe Pantoliano, Patrick Fugit and John Hawkes and TV mainstays Ted Danson and Lauren Graham all try, but their characters are such flat clichés that it's painful to watch. They're clearly having a good time doing it, but what about us?
The film seems to make an attempt at an American version of The Full Monty and Calendar Girls, but instead it turns out to be something far less insightful or funny than Zack and Miri Make a Porno. The Moguls lacks in both humor and drama, trying to be heartwarming by showing us how loving and beautiful small-town America can be, but it mainly portrays its men as bumbling idiots. A framing device that makes absolutely no sense doesn't help either. The 1.5 stars are for some decent acting, especially from Danson and Pantoliano playing bravely against type, but it's not enough to drag the film out of the sewer. It just made me sadder that so many talented people wasted their time like that. -
RLONEILL8 February 2005I have never laughed so hard in a movie as I did Sunday night in Santa Barbara. I have known characters like these all my life who continue to try and succeed in life to win the respect and love of family e.g. Bridges's son. The main motive in life should not be monetary gain but being loved by those who love you. This is the moral of this wonderful movie which made my eyes misty at the end when Bridges kept replaying his son's voice mail,"....I love you Dad!" and then put the new sheets on his son's bed. The characters all mirror Bridges's desire to succeed at something in life. Bridges is like a pied piper in uniting the cast to follow his lead. Danson is a riot. Pantoliano is absolutely terrific. I have never seen him before in such a subdued hilariously funny role. Run! Don't walk to this very wonderful movie. Adding to the foregoing comment which was written over a year ago, I saw the re-cut version of the film last night(4/22/06) and wondered why many of the scenes of the funny grumpy old guy, (Clara's man) were cut, particularly the part near the end when he drives away in a new car with a wide smile after he had been frowning during the whole film. The re-cut version is a tighter film which focuses almost completely on the main characters at the expense of the peripheral characters. However, it is still a terrific film.
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bkrauser-81-31106426 June 2016Starring Jeff Bridges, Ted Danson, William Fincher, Joe Pantoliano, Lauren Graham etc. Amateurs squeaks by largely on the authority of its supremely talented cast, who really gave it their all. The high concept is simple enough; a group of small town misfits band together to make pornography; trouble ensues. Before you go putting it on your Netflix cue, this movie does not have the crass humor of Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) nor does it have its fascination for voluptuous body parts. Imagine if the cast of Northern Exposure (1990-1995) decided to forge into the porn industry; it would look exactly like this. Quirk on quirk on quirk; that's basically the source of most of the film's humor.
At first, the film's frank, deliberate pacing and idiosyncratic characters turned me off. That and the fact that if the language were toned down the film may have gotten a PG-13 as there is no nudity. But halfway through the movie I started to warm up to it. It had the exact same awe-shucks attitude as a Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney film only with a burlesque subject matter. Sure it's lightweight and goofy but it occasionally had some nuggets of insight or failing that, a few choice jokes. Still its not enough to strongly recommend. I didn't hate it, I just didn't like it enough and if it didn't star so many great people (...Judy Greer, John Hawkes, Patrick Fugit, Glenne Headly, Isaiah Washington, Tim Blake Nelson, Steven Weber, Brad Garrett) I probably would have gone on the hunt for good pornography. -
bradpittsbodyguard4 July 2007I have to say I saw this movie 2 years ago and this is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I am not surprised at all this film hasn't been released yet. Jeff Bridges, which by the way I highly admire but after seeing this film and the door in the floor, he has truly slipped!!! In this film he stumbles his words. He seems as though he has forgotten his lines and just rambles on and one till it kinda sorta sounds like this is his lines. Jeff did not seem like he was sober in this film.
As for Ted Danson, PLEASE, I beg you do not play another gay man. You are great actor but you can NOT play a gay man.
The concept is good but the writing is horrible. My advise to the writer: go back to writing school or learn a different trade. -
Matt_Layden5 May 2010Andy (Jeff Bridges) is a guy who doesn't do a whole lot with his life. He comes up with these extravagant ideas but none of them ever lead to anything. His wife leaves him because he can't go anywhere in life. Years later he comes up with the idea to make a porno film and he gets the townsfolk to help him.
For one thing, if only it were that easy to get women to agree to do pornography and for another, to make a film. The Amateurs, or The Moguls, whichever you want to call it, makes it seem like it is incredibly easy. Sure the characters have their problems on the sets, but in my experience it would never happen like that. Its all played up for comedic purposes I know, but it's just my one little nit pick.
The film has an all-star cast. Jeff Bridges leads this crazy cast of characters and it was really the characters that made the film work for me. Ted Danson is Moose, the gay guy who thinks he's straight. Tim Blake Nelson is Barney, a guy who's been in love with this one woman who always turns him down. Joe Pantoliano plays some idiot (that's his characters name) who gets made fun of a lot, but he wants to prove himself as a writer/director. William Fichtner is Otis, the guy who knows how to get things done and Patrick Fugit is the whiz kid who knows how to film everything. There are two other characters who are always together, they go by the names of Moe and Ron. Everyone calls them moron.
The Amateurs works on a few levels and comes just underneath on others. The cast is great and really help the film. The writing is fine, the comedy is there and some of it is funny. One scene in which two characters discuss the logistics of the size of a black man's penis is interesting. Unfortunately the film never feels like the comedy it should be. To compare it to another film in the same area would be Zack and Miri Make A Porno. Both involve porno films, both involve porno jokes and both seem like they could have been so much funnier.
Jeff Bridges narrates the film much like Robert Downey Jr. does in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. He knows this is a movie and he address the audience as such. His character Andy, tries to prove to himself he can make something of his life. He wants to be able to have a relationship with his son. His wife has remarried and the guy is stinking rich. We've seen that before. What this film does differently is that Andy doesn't seem to care about the new husband. He is never jealous and doesn't try to win back the heart of his ex-wife. It was interesting to see it play out like that because 90% of the time it would go the other way.
Lauren Graham and Jeanne Tripplehorn are both in the film and both are severely underused. Specifically Graham, I still do not know why she exists in this film. She is suppose to be the romantic interest of the lead character, but none of that happens until the last 5 minutes. She is completely useless. To sum up, the cast really makes the film better than what it actually is. There is a good movie here, but it just falls short in too many areas for me to be able to recommend it as a comedy.