Seriously, how many times do the couple get robbed or have people just swoop into their house? and having to be kicked ass over and over again?
and they dont do anything about the security of the house? any simple house alarm system?
no wonder why they lived in such a poor state before the teapot
their stupidity makes me too frustrated to watch
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inkblot1121 December 2017Alice (Juno Temple) married John (Michael Angarano) despite the fact that he is not a success at business. John works as a telemarketer while Alice sends out her resume again and again without landing a job. Former classmates sneer. But, Alice loves John and visa versa and they enjoy each other's company despite scrambling to pay the rent. Yet, one fateful day, Alice and John get in a minor car wreck near an antique shop. There, while waiting for tows, Alice spies a brass teapot and is strangely, strongly drawn to it. When the owner is not looking, Alice grabs the pot and runs. The couple arrives home and, the next day, Alice accidentally burns herself with a curling iron. All of a sudden, the teapot starts spewing out paper bills, some very large. Guessing the secret, she and John start to mildly beat, pinch, and stumble themselves until they have quite a large fortune. A strange Asian man comes to the house to warn them the teapot is "no good" and they should get rid of it. Not listening, the couple buys a mansion in an exclusive neighborhood and dines at posh places. In time, thieves rob their safe and hurting themselves no longer works except for a few bucks. But, Alice soons finds another way to make the teapot give up the cash. Nevertheless, Alice has developed a dark nature that scares her husband. Can John convince her to let them give the pot away? This is a clever and amusing film but its not for all. There are some risqué concepts and scenes some won't enjoy. Nevertheless, the beautiful Temple and mildly cute Angarano are very funny while the scenery, costumes, and direction are definite assets. If you loved I Dream of Jeannie or a fan of Temple's, The Brass Teapot will reward you with an evening's enjoyment.
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kosmasp13 August 2015The idea of the movie is not new. Maybe the "catalyst" is sort of fresh (no pun intended), but overall you know where this is heading early on. Even more so if you read what the movie is about. I hadn't and the German title of the movie is a bit weird - injury award/compensation would be a translation. But it's not for the viewer of the movie (the movie isn't that bad anyway ;) ).
It's a pretty solid B-movie, with solid acting. The plot moves along nicely and even when it hurts and seems implausible it still kind of works. There's not too many highlights in this one, but rather a stream that can be entertaining. -
claudio_carvalho8 December 2013Alice (Juno Temple) and John Macy (Michael Angarano) is a young couple that is facing economical difficulties. John is a loser that has been working as salesman in a lousy job in order that Alice concludes the college. However, the ambitious Alice aims a top position and cannot find a job. When John is fired from his job, he has a car accident with Alice on the road in front of an antique house. Alice sees a brass teapot and steals it. Soon she discovers that the teapot is magic and makes money whenever they hurt themselves. The couple is visited by Dr. Ling (Stephen Park) that tells that they should give up of the teapot; otherwise they will be destroyed by the evil power. But the greedy Alice does not want to stop and reaches a next level of meanness.
"The Brass Teapot" is a dark comedy of one joke, a young ordinary couple in love with each other that hurts each other to make money. The story has funny moments, the sexy Juno Tempo shows off most of the time but the plot could have a message against greed and how far a person would go for money. Anyway this movie entertains in a Sunday afternoon. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Loucos por Dinheiro" ("Crazy for Money") -
witster1820 March 2015read a review on here about this 'losing steam'...?!?!
too bad that reviewer quit paying attention, because the thing that made this stand out to me, was the fact that it kept getting better, that it kept 'pushing the envelope' with the story.
"The Brass Teapot" is a low-budget comedy from 2012 that I neither noticed nor watched until last week when I was fiddling through Netflix to find something to pass the time.
The film, while not rocket-science nor packed with amazing performances or drama, actually backed-into my top 25 for 2012. Sitting at #18 one spot above "Jack Reacher" and one spot below that years blockbuster comedy "21 Jump Street".
It really does gain steam though... that's why I brought-up that other review.. because for me it's the opening credits which seem pretty hokey, and the films' opening 20-25 minutes(in which nothing significant happens) that is my biggest gripe with the film.
The moral of the story, and the extreme/building to a crescendo nature of the plot, really come together nicely at the end of the film. A really basic idea is done a great service by the writer, the director, and the cast.
This reminds me a bit of last years' "Cheap Thrills", and is similarly good given it also had little to work with.. This is actually a touch better because it builds and builds, and the moral hits home a bit truer here.
FANTASTIC date movie. Everything you'd look for. Light-hearted, but not too-light-hearted, well-written, entertaining, funny...
Smart, under-rated, worth seeking out as a nice sleeper date- nt/spouses-nt-in treat.
72/100
You might like this if you liked:Seeking A Friend For the End of the World(about even), Mr. Destiny(close, maybe a touch better), Mystery Date(even), Honeymoon in Vegas(not as good), and Let it Ride(a little better). All fine company though.
Solid recommendation. Instantly gets added to my "B-Movie-Marathon" lists.. and while I watch about 3-4 films a week, it seems like months between deserved additions to those lists. -
Speek_7 April 2013My first review on IMDb. I wanted to write this, because the current reviews, i felt, were too positive. NOT because this is a bad movie, but just because it's an indie movie, shot on a low budget, doesn't make it a good movie. The movie is well written, the acting is very decent, but for me, it just didn't do it. From before the first scene in the movie, you can predict what is going to happen. The title says it all. They get the teapot, and all is well, then they get in trouble, but it all turns out for the best. blablabla same'ol same'ol. The only original thing about the movie is the teapot, but again, the title says it all. But if you're home on a Sunday afternoon and have nothing to do, this is definitely something to watch, also not a bad idea for a first date. It has a couple of laughs, partial nudity, a lot of intimate moments, and you don't really have to pay attention. Oh, and i did like the soundtrack/score. For that I gave it 6 stars
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SnoopyStyle21 December 2013Alice (Juno Temple) and John (Michael Angarano) are a downtrodden struggling couple. After a car accident, Alice finds herself attracted to a roadside antique shop. She steals a teapot and finds that it rewards them with money for every pain and suffering.
John is way too pathetic to like. He is an annoying little loser. There isn't anything funny about him. Alice is slightly better, because she becomes somewhat evil and she knows it. Quite frankly, I don't know what she sees in him. It takes quite a long while before it gets interesting. It is actually very funny when the couple lands on emotional pain. There is a good 10 minutes of fun jokes there. The rest of the movie is a rather unimpressive comedy with a very cool premise. -
I truly enjoyed this movie. It has an original plot and it isn't over done. Juno Temple was wonderful, and although I'm not normally a film buff, I was so impressed with this film that I couldn't help but put a review in.
The plot was so unique, and included enough history that you really start to wonder...
A great dark comedy - it's not a stupid comedy, it can really make you think. How far would YOU go? What would YOU do if you had possession of the teapot? If a movie can make you think - actually think about what you'd do - it's a successful film, in my opinion.
Great film - great cast! This is one I'll purchase to keep in my home to watch again! -
jimsnider-8919218 July 2021The Brass Teapot is, in my opinion, a solidly written film supported by a talented cast of actors and a plot that makes sense. Sadly this combination is increasingly rare in the movie industry today.
Juno Temple and Michael Angarano both deliver outstanding performances which help to draw the audience into a sort of "what would you do?" dilemma that is both thought provoking and enjoyable to watch play out. As you watch their moral scale tip further and further to the dark side you can't help but feel conflicted yourself.
Is this an instant hit for everyone? Is it destined to be a classic? The answer to both questions is probably not, but it's still a good movie that is well developed and will appeal to a lot of different audiences. -
How far would a person go to earn easy money?
The idea of being able to earn money from pain is not only a masochist's wet dream, but it provides the potential for a film with a lot of moral complexity and moral questioning. I was fine with the director trying to get a few laughs from it, but I don't quite understand why they didn't further explore the darker side of this concept, as it would have really set this film apart from the rest.
There was one point near the end of the film that made me cry, as it showed the vulnerability of humans and how easily they can be corrupted, but even that quickly subsided and turned out to be a red herring, the film continuing down its cliché and comedic path instead.
I'd love to see a different director attempt this film again, but take it more seriously. I honestly think it has potential. The film as it currently exists is worth a watch, but pretty forgettable and you won't be thinking much about it afterwards. -
Ramaa Mosley's debut film "The Brass Teapot" stands out as an enjoyable indie flick. Having been a fan of Juno Temple for quite some time, it's nice to see her breaking out into larger roles.
The acting in the film superb, and the plot plays out well. The film is quite enjoyable all around, and makes you question your moral integrity when you put yourself in their position.
The temptation of money is a powerful one. How far would you go to get all the money you have ever wanted?
Ultimately, it's an enjoyable film that you should check out given the chance. -
ksf-25 September 2023Alice and john don't have much money. But they are reasonably happy. Their luck seems to go from bad to worse. Alice can't seem to find and job, and john just lost his. But something strange happens when they steal something from an old lady. It has powers. When they hurt themselves, good things happen to them. How far will they go to pay the bills? Or even have more money than they need? And who keeps showing up looking to reclaim what they stole? It's all fun and mysterious. At some point, they will need to figure out what's really important, or they will destroy their marriage and their lives! Keep an eye out for kenneth, from 30 rock. It's a bit odd, but very well done. Fun to watch. This started out as a short film in 2007, written as a full length feature for 2012. Directed by ramaa mosley.
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michaelradny14 September 2015Whilst the Brass Teapot starts off promising, it then slumps into a typical melodramatic snore fest that you may find in a Disney kids film. Though I will admit, The Brass Teapot is a cool idea, the unfortunate part of this is the jealousy that follows. The whole time I was thinking what I could do with it rather than focusing on the narrative of the film. It's funny, but tragic at the same time. Dumb decisions are made which makes you cringe and the recycled material of the story leads nowhere exciting.
A good attempt to make a good film, but for the most part this film turns out so-so. It loses its charm quickly, which is unfortunate and its comedy factor gets weary. Definitely the film that could have been. -
leonblackwood12 October 2013Review: I was expecting this movie to be a typical teenage road movie, but, for once, I actually enjoyed it. The storyline was quite original and the moral behind it was interesting. If there was A-Listers playing the roles then it would have been a much better movie, but that's not to say that the cast was bad. The questions that you have to ask yourself whilst watching the movie is, What would you do if you had a teapot that gave out money from being violent, which is what I found so interesting. In some ways, the film does go a bit far, especially with the gun carrying Jews, but you can't fault it for entertainment. Enjoyable!
Round-Up: It's a shame that this movie didn't make more money because it's much better than a lot of movies that I have seen with big budgets. Don't get me wrong, this isn't totally mind blowing, but it's because I was expecting it to be really crap. To my surprise, I did end up staying awake through the film because I really wanted to know what was going to happen to the characters. The mysterious Chinaman was a good touch to the storyline, and I liked the Gollum references from The Lord Of The Rings. In all, it's definitely worth a watch, just for originality and entertainment.
Budget: $900,000 Worldwide Gross: $7,000 (Terrible!)
I recommend this movie to people who are into there romantic comedies about a couple who come across a teapot that gives out money. 6/10 -
stefanozucchelli2 February 2022Decent movie but it doesn't rise above average. It is a love story with a hint of the fantastic element. Nothing memorable or special. It helps you pass the time.
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bowmanblue8 February 2015'The Brass Teapot' is basically a fable, retold for the modern audience with the addition of call-centres and camera phones. A young married couple, currently struggling in these financially-difficult times, think their luck has finally changed when they come into the possession of a brass teapot – one which very kindly spews money whenever one of them hurt themselves.
Now, at first the odd pinch here and there gives them enough money to pay their rent, but, before long, the temptation to score 'big bucks' out of the teapot becomes too tempting and they need to up their 'physically enduring' game.
The story is nothing new. It's one where we can see how greed can corrupt the virtuous and that love should be treasured over materialistic wealth. However, just because it's a tale as old as time, doesn't mean it's not very enjoyable.
For a start, the young couple are just so likable. They are genuinely nice people who do love each other and are finding it hard to make ends meet, financially. And that's probably something most of us can relate to in this day and age. When they do get the teapot and start exploiting its powers, they do it in a way that most of us probably would and nothing ever really seems too far-fetched (assuming you can suspend your disbelief enough to believe in magic teapots).
The story does change in 'feel' a bit as it goes on. The beginning has people falling off bicycles and awkward situations that give it an 'American Pie' kind of feel. However, as the film goes on, you start seeing the darker side to the magic and it ends up coming across like a Japanese horror film about possession and betrayal.
If you can take the genre switch and are happy to watch a story that you will probably work the ending out without much trouble, you'll probably enjoy retreading a well-worn path as it's just such good fun. -
thejdrage21 July 2022This is a dark comedy that flows along nice, I thought. Yes, it borrows from other stories, but it is its own film when it comes down to it.
Ying and Yang. Good and bad. Growth and ..... well, you get the idea.
It has the obligatory twists and turns - and my favorite was at the end! Nope! Not gonna tell you. You'll have to watch it. -
StevePulaski6 March 2013Ramaa Mosley's The Brass Teapot is yet another film that exercises its unalienable right to be an enthusiastically quirky gem of an indie film. My definition of "enthusiastically quirky" will likely be different than yours, as mine concerns a premise that needed to take a considerable amount of time to develop and an even larger amount of work in order to sustain feature-length. The quintessential example that comes to mind is last year's black comedy Bernie, by notorious indie director Richard Linklater, concerning the gentle town funeral director who did the unthinkable by killing a verbally abusive older woman whose husband had recently passed. It was a terrific motion picture in terms of tone, character development, and setting, but also, took on the challenge of humanizing a rather genial character doing the truly despicable. What made it "enthusiastically quirky" was just the overall way it was conducted, with characters with enigma and personality, and a storyline that you wouldn't believe would be interesting after fifty minutes. I guess what I'm trying to say here is, when you see enthusiastically quirky, you'll know enthusiastically quirky.
But I digress. The Brass Teapot revolves around John and Alice (Michael Angarano and Juno Temple , respectively), a lower middle class couple struggling to make ends meet in such unforgiving times. He is a telemarketer selling needless Television warranties. She is a woman unable to accept an entry-level position and start straight at the top, with an arts history major under her belt.
One day, they stumble upon an antique shop run by an older woman, and when she finds herself in an "I desperately want this phase," Alice steals a brass teapot out of the blue. Not long after stealing it, Alice and John discover that the teapot, which is beautifully welded and meticulously crafted, actually possesses a strange power; if the owner of it inflicts pain on themselves or someone else they will be rewarded with money, often in the hundreds. This causes Alice and John to resort to drastic measures to obtain cash, with methods including a full-Brazilian wax and dental surgery without any Novocaine. They soon learn that their newfound treasure and only source of income is a highly desired piece by not only violent Orthodox Jews but a mysterious Asian man, who claims that everyone who has come in contact with that pot has emerged forever changed and not for the better.
Of course, Alice and John do not listen and play by the teapot's obscure rules, which seem to change at anytime. For example, after a while the pot seems to stop providing so much cash for physical pain and resorts to mental pain, which Alice and John decide to inflict on each other and their closest friends. The comic possibilities are endless, and writer Tim Macy (Who also wrote the 2007-short of the same name) exposes them all with blackly funny results and a zealous energy.
However, perhaps one-hundred and one minutes devoted to a story of a teapot that can produce money at the expense of pain may be a bit lengthy. I can see some tiring after twenty minutes and some wanting more from this story. For me, this was around perfect length; it exercises all or most possibilities that can be done with the story, it keeps things fast-paced and entertaining, and, for the most part, we resonate with the characters' dilemmas and see them as more as story archetypes. This is a better alternative than melodramatic indie fare, to say the least.
I've been victim to stupidity when it comes to picking films based on their actors and not totally thinking the premise over, but The Brass Teapot was a fine gamble. It has heart, wit, intelligence, and humor almost bursting from its seams. Mark it down as yet another quirky film for the year of 2013, but put it in the category of quirky films that work efficiently.
Starring: Michael Angarano and Juno Temple. Directed by: Ramaa Mosley. -
simon-d-cesair18 June 2013You might like this movie if you enjoyed:
Big (1988), Death Becomes Her (1992), Thinner (1996)
The Story: A couple in a financial crisis steals a teapot and discovers that whenever they hurt themselves it magically produces money. But what seems to be a blessing in disguise at first soon turns into a dangerous game and the two start losing control.
Review: Since I have seen Michael Angarano in Speak (2004) and Juno Temple in Dirty Girl (2010) I follow their work and I am quite fond of it. The performance they deliver in The Brass Teapot is beautiful, and you can feel the love the two characters share which keeps them together during the financial struggle, and how a simple teapot is threatening to destroy everything they have. The idea of the story is fresh and interesting, but doesn't seem to be enough for a full- length movie. The acting was entertaining enough to keep me interested, but the thin story development would have been better as 30-minutes short movie. Nonetheless I think that The Brass Teapot delivers a good message: If things become perfect too fast and easy they usually have a catch or end up badly.
Rating: 5.5/10
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"The Brass Teapot" started out as quite alright and lasted so up until just after the mid-point or there about, then the steam started to escape out of the kettle (if you get the pun), and it drastically went down in speed and lost appeal fast.
The story is about a struggling young couple who happen to come across a magical brass teapot that has the ability to conjure forth money whenever there is pain and misery in its vicinity. And while every seems to be grand and wonderful with all the money in the world at hand, the curse that the teapot bears soon starts to take a toll on the couple.
I will say that the storyline was good and it had some very interesting moments and aspects. And there were also moments throughout the movie that were great and funny. But it just started to become a dragged out pain to sit through the movie somewhere after the mid-point.
Acting-wise, then "The Brass Teapot" does have some good actors and actresses to the cast list. And it is good to see talents that are in the movie for the talents and not just because they are glamorous and famous.
"The Brass Teapot" had potential, but it just wasn't fully put to use. While I enjoyed the first part of the movie, I ended up with my phone in my hand a couple of times throughout the last part. And as such, because the movie failed to keep my attention, then I am rating "The Brass Teapot" a mere mediocre 5 out of 10 stars. -
JenEvans118 March 2013I read the plot for this one and thought that it sounded a bit lame. But it was, in fact surprisingly good! It was certainly original - even though we could guess what would happen at times, when it did happen it was much more entertaining than expected.
The stars, Juno Temple and Michael Angarono were a great combination. But the plot didn't rely solely on its central characters to provide the fun - there were a couple of great sub-plots in there - the sister and her husband were an excellent addition to the storyline, as were their snooty friends.
I thought that the inventive ways in which the characters tortured themselves was hilarious, for me the only danger seemed to be that at some point the plot would get too dark and lose its sense of humour. But I'm glad to say that it didn't'. Im scoring this an 8 because I really did enjoy it all the way to the end! -
John goes to work at the Laurel Springs Office Building. Alice goes to a job interview. He gets a reprimand from the boss, she does not get the job. Their funds are already short. So they go to a party and get drunk. They get T-boned by a truck. It's amazing she was still alive, much less untouched. Alice spots an antiques shop, and runs into it. She steals a rather nice looking teapot. The next day, she accidentally burns herself (slightly); the teapot jiggles. She looks inside and finds 200 USD. She tries to replicate this, but hurt herself more. The pot gives her 700 USD. She trips and falls; more money comes from the teapot. About the same time, John gets fired.
John comes home to find the place messed up, and Alice bloodied in multiple places. She eventually convinces him of the conceit of the film. A harsh knee slam to his crotch was initially worth quite a bit of money. John goes back to the place where Alice stole the teapot. It is marked 'Closed' and is boarded up. Very unfortunately, John goes on Antiques Roadshow and gets an appraisal. A man of long Chinese heritage sees the show, and makes a new notation on a wall map. He was not the only one who watched. Clearly, they are screwed.
They get into mainlining pain: tattoos, whipping, dental work without pain killers, burning flesh, and so on. They have no explanations for getting out of debt without jobs. Two large Hasidic Jewish fellows drop by and beat the nonsense out of John, telling them that it was a family heirloom, and their relative had died. They paid these folks off from the cash that John's beating generated. The Chinese man tries to warn them, but they rebuff him.
They make investments that fail, and splurge on all sorts of things: a huge new house, clothes, restaurants. An old acquaintance tries to steal it; the Jewish fellows break in to steal it. Alice tries to beat up the Jewish guys who are buff and about six feet two. She keeps the pot, but they do her some damage.
The diminishing returns start. The same amount of pain endured results in less reward. Then they discover that if the teapot is near someone else's pain, they also get money. Unfortunately, Alice tries hit and run to generate money. They also discover that emotional pain generates cash.
Does the moral descent ever end?
-------Scores-------
Cinematography: 10/10 The introductory credits were absolutely beautiful. Then there was the rest of the film, which was quite nicely shot.
Sound: 8/10 OK.
Acting: 2/10 Terrible. Alexis Bledel was okay, but Juno Temple, Michael Angarano, and most of the supporting actors were indeed bad.
Screenplay: 6/10 A fairly sound story gets told through poor actors. -
Cinnyaste14 May 2013"The Brass Teapot" is an ultra-thin allegory pointing an accusatory finger at the folly of human greed at any cost. The Get-Rich-Quick American ideal of reaping big reward without hard work is also observed - from 10,000 feet.
Predictable from frame one, this film is woefully miscast. The male lead, Michael Angarano, sleepwalks through a part requiring far more thoughtfulness than he's capable of delivering. Perhaps it's in the comparison. He shares the screen with greed incarnate, a spot-on Juno Temple. They're educated young marrieds "a couple of notches above white trash" struggling financially in bad economic times without hope of a good job. A legendary brass teapot is stolen by she and soon afterward it's discovered money spits out when pain is registered nearby.
Unfortunately, "The Brass Teapot" wallows in the aforementioned white trash sentiments. The masochism, physical, sexual and emotional sadism flies fast and furious and veers well into gratuitous. Scenes that should boil with an acrid potency - the verbalization of the partners worse thoughts about each other - are instead thrown away and unintentionally become satire.
Add two Hasidic Jews threatening the couple but who don't want the (stolen from their Aunt) teapot back (????). Then there's a mysterious Chinese doctor trying to save the couple from the teapot's clutches. Seems thousands used the teapot through many, many centuries but it takes our white trash heroes to have the courage to give it up. Balderdash!
The Director's inclusion of personal beliefs, Theosophy, further tarnishes the teapot. Bad form, Ms. Mosley.
While the story sounds fun and entertaining, it is poorly executed. With neither enough seriousness nor comedy, "The Brass Teapot" fails to whistle loud enough to be heard from the kitchen. (Unless you relish schadenfreude.) -
thekarmicnomad29 October 2013This is a great little movie.
A struggling couple find a magic tea pot that rewards pain with money.
The couple need to find inventive ways of hurting themselves, then of course there is a string of people following in the teapot's wake.
It is adequately funny and the story bounces along quite well. The acting and production is great and it certainly doesn't hurt that Juno Temple spends a lot of the film half undressed.
The film isn't hilarious or particularly touching but it is good fun, humorous and doesn't over reach.
Perfect for a random night in not quite a Friday night movie. -
This is the 900th movie I have ever seen
This is the 900th movie I have ever seen
This is the 900th movie I have ever seen
This is the 900th movie I have ever seen
This is the 900th movie I have ever seen
This is the 900th movie I have ever seen
This is the 900th movie I have ever seen
This is the 900th movie I have ever seen
This is the 900th movie I have ever seen
This is the 900th movie I have ever seen
This is the 900th movie I have ever seen