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If Alfred Hitchcock had ever decided to direct a comedic prequel to “Psycho,” it’s not hard to imagine that Norman Bate’s origin story might turn out looking something like “Cyrus,” the latest dramedic protégé of Fox Searchlight Pictures. All the necessary elements are there: the doting mother, the overly-dependent only child and the intrusion of the new boyfriend. There’s even a climactic scene that takes place in, you guessed it, a bathroom.
The story centers around John (John C. Reilly), a freelance editor, who, upon hearing the news that his ex-wife is getting re-married, quickly spirals into a life of depression and hygienic deficiency. It is not until he meets Molly (Marisa Tomei) at a party that he receives the impetus to not only clean his apartment, but to see that life still holds a bit of promise. The only thing that threatens to stand between their match-made-in-heaven is the suspiciously over-friendly overtures of Molly’s 21-year-old son, Cyrus (Jonah Hill).
The brain-child of Jay and Mark Duplass, who both wrote and directed the film, “Cyrus” exudes a surprisingly realistic atmosphere, despite the absurd situation in which its characters find themselves. Its Woody Allen-esque blend of pathos, awkward humor and a dash of weirdness lends credibility to a plot that could otherwise have turned out laughably-forgettable.
Part of this authenticity might stem from the unique filming-style of the Duplass brothers. Not only did they choose to film the entire movie in chronological order, but most scenes that appear in “Cyrus” are first takes. The directors threw an additional surprise at their central actors when they insisted that Reilly, Tomei and Hill completely forget the script and improvise.
With past successes like “Juno” and “Little Miss Sunshine” under its belt, Fox Searchlight has demonstrated an impressive knack for turning out Academy Award-winning films with cult classic potential. While its appeal may never reach the level of its predecessors, it still promises to endear audiences through the sheer stubborn likability of its characters.
Cyrus
R
Two-and-a-half reels out of four
In area theaters Thursday
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