My First Mister | | Cast : | Albert Brooks | | Director : | Christine Lahti | | Studio : | Paramount Home Video | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | January 01, 2001 | | DVD Released Date : | April 23, 2002 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Original Language), English (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 13, 2005 | | Summary | This is a brilliantly wonderful film | Content
 | If you are looking for typical Albert Brooks squirmy, nuerotic, brilliance in this film, you wont find it. What you will find is the depth of Mr Brooks as an actor. This is a wonderful film, and Albert Brooks is one of our great talents.Great script, great performances by all, and wonderful direction. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 19, 2005 | | Summary | An unlikely friendship evocatively portrayed | Content
| I admit it: I'm a fan of Leelee Sobieski. She just looks *interesting*, but unlike some actresses who use that kind of appearance to simply look pretty while talking in a monotone, she uses it to create great, memorable characters.
In My First Mister, she tosses out her usual good-girl image and instead portrays a multiply-pierced, deeply melancholy teenager who has spent most of her life wanting to escape from everything -- and everyone -- around her. She's a virgin and not particularly happy about it, and she doesn't have a friend in the world ... until one day, purely by accident, she runs into Randall at a local department store. He's much older than she is, but (as is unsurprising in a movie like this) they develop a close, curious friendship. It's not quite sexual, but never quite asexual either; the actors strike just the write note to remain believable without ever becoming creepy.
About midway through, the wheels of the plot begin turning, and we discover some long-buried secrets resulting in an imminent crisis. This stuff is typical movie-of-the-week material, and I found it a little disappointing after the masterful buildup.
Still, having seen thousands of friendships portrayed in books and movies over the course of my life, it's always delightful to discover something genuinely new. I'd never encountered anything quite like My First Mister before, and now that I have seen it, I'm glad I did. |
| Rating | | | Date | November 05, 2004 | | Summary | A moving story, some incredible performances. | Content
| One of the most pleasant surprises for me. Christine Lahti's directing is superb, the writing brilliant, the chemistry between Leelee Sobieski and Albert Brooks second to none. Some great supporting work by big names such as Carole Kane, John Goodman, Michael McKeon ("Lenny" from Laverne & Shirley -- excuse the misspelling). Albert Brooks is magnificent, as expected. Leelee Sobieski gives a performance that leaves me alternately on the brink of tears or laughing, but always touched. I am left speechless by how good an actress she is. I'll add this in honor of her French roots: De plus, mademoiselle, vous etes d'une beaute sans pareille!!! Check out "Joan of Arc" and "L'idole". More incredible performances from this great young actress. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 15, 2004 | | Summary | Life Changing Movie | Content
| One of the best movies I've ever seen. Well written, well directed, and very moving. An extremely relevant and serious subject. Wonderful combination of heartfelt emotions and wit. I made my 15 year old daughter sit down and watch it with me! |
| Rating | | | Date | February 02, 2004 | | Summary | Well maybe even 4 1/2 stars... | Content
| This is a wonderful and charming movie that really grabbed me emotionally & held on tight (hey, I'm an over-50 male). PLus what a cast! Albert Brooks, Carol Kane, Michael McKean & John Goodman! Wow, fun set. I've always liked Christine Lahti very very much as an actress & I hope she gets a lot of work as a director because she's done a terrific job. The major kudos must go, in my book, to Albert Brooks. What a wonderful performance he gives. A complete, funny, vulnerable, humorous, self-deprecating grown-up guy. Boy if anyone deserved an oscar in the year this movie came out, he did. But he's always been at the pinnacle of whatever he was doing, way back to when he was a ventriloquist on the Tonight show & talked while his dummy drank! I love you Albert. You're a real Albert Einstein! I did hold back a star or so because some of the subsidiary male characters annoyed me. I felt the writing of the John Goodman character & of Randy who shows up later was a real cheap "men-are-all-bozos" shot. Not worthy of the rest of the film. |
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