Pretty Good

A Masterpiece!

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

So that is how it ends? I love it. I just watched What Happened Was… so that I can dwell more into the icy depths of lonelinesm. Tom Noonan is a "G" for writing this. I believe it was first adapted into a play and then later turned into a feature film. I like it so much because it is so different and so simple, yet complex in a very disturbing sort of way. The relationship between the couple on their so called "date" is so awkward that even the audience is lost in a trance. I LIKE THAT FEELING. It is neither a good, nor bad feeling, but it is LIVING and a psychological game we as humans play with one another that always has the same rules/outcome. Always; You hide. You hide who you are and what you do to PROTECT this person from figuring out who you really are. Which is a boring, unmotivated vessel. Their is a scene towards the end when, after Tom Noonan pours his heart out and says how pathetic he is, our main actress, Karen Sillas' character, mentions:"It's funny, you know? You finally GROW UP. You know, you finally figure out who the hell you are. And just when you got something interesting to give, they're not interested anymore."See now these are one of those lines that make me filled with utter jealousy when I hear them, and say to myself, "why didn't I think of that?!" "It has been right in front of me the whole time but I've just been too stupid to figure it out!" I believe strongly that what she is saying is true "you know?" It is saying (in my opinion), that you do not know what you got till it is gone. A little bit of that, mixed with the lonesomeness of not fitting-in in with the world. You wait so long for something to come. Something to make it all right. And when it finally does, then you realize that you actually are useless and won't receive anything from anyone until you go out and get it yourself. - One has to make their own self worth something, even if it takes pretending (which, I know, I shouldn't be the one talking since I cannot even pretend myself). - Misery; And doing things wrong is good. It's alright! You think you are digging yourself deeper in a hole, when actually you are building yourself higher than most individuals. It is not a piece of cake, let me tell you that, my friend. It is a disease and a curse. What is that QUOTE? "Curiosity killed the cat." Well, I was a curious-George myself, and, even though I am learning to accept my depression, I had to go through a lot of unnecessary pain. And the worst part is that from this curiosity, I am going to have to deal with this hurt for the rest of my life. It is going to affect my children, and their children. It is going to mess with my siblings relations and my parents' reputation. Yes, and I have to deal with it. Everyday.I gave this beautiful film a 5/5 and wish to hear more from Tom Noonan in the future.-- Michael Mendez

6 out of 10 Stupid title belies a otherwise interesting experiment. There are shades of MY DINNER WITH ANDRE here except it's not two men getting together for dinner and conversation it's a man and women on a date. The whole film takes place in the women's apartment and simply follows their date and course of conversation. It scores a bullseye when it comes to modern day dating and all the elements that come with it. Anyone who has done a lot of dating or is heavily into the dating scene will most assuredly relate. These are indeed two very real people. Sillas is a women typical to the dating scene. She is rather plain looking with a boring job and rather dreary overall existence. She looks for a relationship as a way to escape the blandness. Her nervous laughter and gestures are completely on target. Noonan, as her male counterpart, is indeed the culmination of a typical male lost in the dating jungle. He is balding and gawky. He is smart and amiable, but still limited in his interactions. There ninety minute dialogue is both painful and funny. It is clear that these two people, like in a lot of first dates, are in two very different worlds. They never really talk or connect. They try to force something to work that really can't simply to avoid their own loneliness. The concept is terrific, but the overall visual style is not. The color is too washed out and the effect is too grayish and bland. The pacing is all right, but there is a odd segment involving the reading of a childrens story that the Sillas character had written. The story is very ghoulish in nature and seems like something that would not have been written by that type of character. The reading of the story goes on too long and there are some subtly strange supernatural elements that happen during it that doesn't make any sense and certainly doesn't fit with the rest of the picture. Overall though it is a nice try. It can be both entertaining and amusing in it's observations. Yet it's approach is bit too honest and oppressive. It may hit too close too home for some reminding them too much of their own bad dates and their own situation. Viewing this could ultimately become just one big depressing experience.

This man is so odd. He was very good in this movie. I was surprised how well he did on this strange first "date". For the most part, the entire movie was shot in some NYC apartment and it was just about these TWO characters talking to eachother in a very awkward and uncomfortable manner. The female lead in this movie was HOT and I could not believe she was attracted to the bizarre looking Tom Noonan!!! Great movie though....for me.

OH MY GOD did anyone make it through this??? This is truly a test in patience. I would think that if you're good at 10,000 piece puzzles of white husky puppies in the snow, you may endure this movie. It's now been on for 20 minutes and the only reason I could possibly watch any more is to see if this guy turns out to be a serial killer and murders this pathetic woman. I had to see if these reviews here could please spoil the ending so I could turn this off or at least wait till the 'good' part. But from reading others, it's this way all through the 'film' (loosely termed) I struggle to wonder who actually paid to see or better yet make this film. again...OH MY GOD Leave it to WE (women's entertainment) to air this on TV. OK I'm not just harping, but in this half an hour the dialogue has consistently been slow, awkward, meaningless, and every sentence ends with, "are you joking? oh you ARE joking (awkward laugh) you're SO FUNNY!"