Flannel Pajamas (2006) Reviews

• why it's good

  EMCady2006-11-17

  I love this film. That is not to say that it doesn't have flaws. The dialogue, the camera-work, the lighting, all these things sometimes seem clunky and amateurish. However, the goal of the film is to put a romantic relationship under a microscope and portray it as naturally and honestly as possible. In order to achieve that, some things must be sacrificed: secondary characters, production design, revelation of plot. Audiences often see plot and story as the same. Actually, story is the road along which we travel (i.e. this happens, then this happens, then this...), where as plot equals two seemingly unrelated events that effect each other. Most films have more plot than story. That is to say, they cut to the chase, telling us what THIS has to do with THAT. FP does the opposite. It compresses plot in order to focus as much as possible on it's main character: the relationship. FP is not about the way Nicole and Stuart effect each other, or about the way outside forces effect them, it is simply about the fact that this relationship occurred. It began, eventually it ended, and if that can be portrayed honestly, without pulling punches or cutting to the chase, then why would a film need to be anything more? FP has been compared to Scenes From A Marriage. After seeing FP I've realized that Bergman is a large presence in SFAM and that may be a problem. Bergman shows us Johan and Marriane from a distance, carefully pointing out their foibles as if to say, "look at how absurd human relationships are." Lipsky never does that. He never judges his characters or analyzes them, he simply puts the camera in their faces and says, "this is what a relationship looks like." In regard to the ending, I am compelled to mention the most effective ending in film history: Anthony Quinn's epiphany on the beach in La Strada. The end of FP should work the same. We've watched Stuart make one mistake after another and just as he realizes how closely he came to an actual human connection and how foolish he was to let it go, we realize that we've made the same mistakes and there is no simple answer as to how to live our lives. Through this we should find sympathy for Stuart and that makes FP more engaging and complex than many films out there. If FP fails to effect it's audience, well then, at least Mr. Lipsky is film-literate, because not enough working directors are. With all of it's flaws and awkward moments, I can't help but fall for a film that challenges me and refuses to assure me that everything will be alright in the end.

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• I liked this film

  hanrahanpm2006-12-30

  Just saw this at Cinema Arts in Huntington NY and I wonder why the negative comments are so nasty. This film is exactly what it claims to be - an independent film, made with limited resources by hardworking actors who give it their all. While all the characters may not be appealing, they are all interesting and have something to say. The younger brother (Jordan), for example, was fascinating. The two leads were excellent and had chemistry that is hard to find in so called major movies. Nicole may have had one or two too many nude scenes, but that's OK. Justin Kirk really caught his character and his dialogue and delivery was excellent. The film could be 20 minutes shorter with tighter editing and might be more enjoyable and have fewer head-scratching scenes. What was the conversation between the mother and the husband in the hospital cafeteria all about and where did it lead to? All in all a six or seven and worth seeing, in my opinion.

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• Intelligent Indie Flick With a Lot to Offer

  sheckyicecream2007-02-02

  Flannel Pajamas was intelligent. The dialogue is exceptionally well written and manages to keep the viewer in the movie - as most good "Indie" flicks often do. It is more of a character/relationship study than anything. These types of movies often get overlooked when it comes to critics or the general public. It is understandable how someone who likes "XXX" with Vin Diesel would hate this movie - opposite ends of the spectrum. Likewise, for those of you that loathe the unimaginative huge budget big-named action films that pollute Hollywood and movie screens across the country, you'll love this one. Flannel Pajamas is a much needed break from the mainstream. Julianne Nicholson and Justin Kirk have excellent chemistry together, doing a superb job of portraying a couple adapting to modern-day problems that threaten to tear them apart. It comes together as a poignant love story of opposites attracting and making it work.

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• A marriage bed stained with bile

  tigerfish502010-12-29

  "Flannel Pajamas" opens with the meeting of Stuart and Nicole at a convivial dinner party. Despite Stuart trumpeting his life philosophy in a narcissistic monologue, the romantic portents seem promising, and by the end of the evening they are clearly besotted with each other. The film's Indie credentials are established over the next half hour with some fairly explicit love scenes, which unfortunately add little to either plot or character development. In due course the lovers marry, put on their clothes and start criticizing each other - immediately transforming the erotic intimacy of their bedroom into a place of estrangement. Nicole gripes that Stuart doesn't listen to her and won't talk about his issues - while remaining secretive about her own. With communication and tenderness in short supply, the marriage turns rancid as they persist with their complaints and evasions, until their faces turn sour with resentment. A troupe of peripheral characters come and go, priming the audience for plot-lines that never materialize, leaving "Flannel Pajamas" full of loose threads and soggy with irrelevant material. The script fails to define the couple's essential problem - and while such ambiguity may be commonplace in marriage, it's a questionable recipe for drama. Most viewers will probably have had enough of this tiresome twosome and their endless duplicity long before the curtain falls.

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• Littering and Overhead Compartments

  ferguson-62007-01-21

  Greetings again from the darkness. Having seen the trailer a few times, I had pretty much decided this was not one I would see. Then I saw Roger Ebert raving about it and since he is a movie critic god, it was obvious I needed to see it. Now I am not going to write the great Mr. Ebert and ask for my money back, but I must admit I am somewhat baffled by his comments. While there are moments of brilliant intimacy, for the most part this movie is just about the arc of 90% of the relationships today. I wish that were more of a compliment, but instead I compare this to "Before Sunset", the obnoxious remake to Richard Linklater's 1994 gem "Before Sunrise". In other words, it is 2 plus hours of listening to two fairly unlikeable people TALK incessantly about themselves and their relationship. This is definitely no "My Dinner With Andre". Of course, writer/director Jeff Lipskey tosses is many more characters ... probably too many ... to show the complexities within this or any other relationship. Julianne Nicholson and Justin Kirk are the couple and while Ms. Nicholson exudes a camouflaged charm, Mr. Kirk is little more than a smarmy, unable to communicate about anything important dude who is just like most guys. We pretty much dislike him from the opening scene in the café when his self-centeredness is obvious to all but Ms. Nicholson. I know little of Mr. Lipsky, but I am not sure if his objective was to visualize the issues of most relationships, point out the lack of judgment exhibited by most women when choosing a partner or some other deep philosophical issue. All I know is that the ending was obvious from the inane opening sequence, although there were some very poignant moments in between. The best part of the film may be the closing credit song "Thursday" by Asobi Soksu. As for Roger Ebert, my opinion of him is not damaged one bit, as what makes watching movies so wonderful is the slight chance that one may hit you where it counts. "Flannel Pajamas" did this for him, but not for me.

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