Such a frustrating disappointment

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Admirable film.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

I love Alan Rickman in anything especially here where he plays a vain, selfish Nobel Laureate chemistry professor, Eli Michaelson. He plays it beautifully. If Alan would reconsider, he should be awarded and accept British knighthood but he has declined in the past. Mary Steenburgen is wonderful as the long suffering wife and mother. Eli's son, Barkley, learns some surprising facts and truths about his beloved father. Eli isn't so keen on giving up his money. There are plenty of memorable moments in the film like the car chase in the mall. Danny DeVito has a features role as their tenant. The cast is marvelous and the story is entertaining as well. It's nice to see Mary Steenburgen in a role worthy of her talent.

Grad student Barkley Michaelson (Bryan Greenberg) is getting his PhD in cannibalism - not for actually eating his fellow man, mind you, but for studying those who do. This choice of topic doesn't sit very well with his dad, a hateful, arrogant college professor who's just been awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry and who wants his son to carry on his legacy after he's gone. Unfortunately, as Professor Eli Michaelson is over in Stockholm receiving his award, Barkley is back home in Pasadena being held for ransom by a crazed kidnapper. This is the setup for "Nobel Son," an Oedipal drama done in the form of a smart-alecky, wisecracking pitch dark comedy. Acting stalwarts Mary Steenburgen, Shawn Hatosy, Bill Pullman, Danny DeVito and Ted Danson round out the cast.If there's one thing a filmmaker can't fake, it's "coolness" - yet that's the one thing writer/director Randall Miller keeps working so hard to achieve in "Nobel Son," a movie that too often comes across as a poor-man's version of Quentin Tarentino. Yet, despite that derivativeness, the movie's frenetic style - a mixture of razzle-dazzle camera and editing techniques, snarky black humor, and a pounding rock soundtrack - reveals that Miller has some real potential as a filmmaker. And a series of nifty plot twists in the final third go a long way towards mitigating any misgivings we may have harbored about the movie earlier on.

Eli Michaelson, the winner of the Nobel Prize for chemistry is some piece of work! He seduces his female students; he has an ego the size of an elephant, and in addition, he is a nasty SOB. To make matters worse, he is being recognized for the work that might have been developed by another scientist. We meet this man as he is going to go to Sweden to accept the prize, at a time when his son Barkley is facing a crisis of his own.Barkley, who is a student himself, has been at odds with his father for quite some time. He doesn't see eye to eye with the old man, who considers him unworthy of being his son. Barkley meets a young woman at a poetry venue, where most of the poems that are read are just plain weird. Her name is City Hall, a name that goes well with the odd ball she is. As their meeting progresses into a tumble in the hay, Barkley ends up missing the flight to Stockholm to accompany his parents for the ceremony.To make matters worse, Barkley is kidnapped by a young guy, Thaddeus, who is intent in seeking revenge for something the older Michaelson has caused in his life. The kidnapper and his victim suddenly discover they have a lot more in common than anyone of them suspected. Thaddeus wants to get two million dollars from the old man he holds responsible for ruining his life.Randall Miller, the creator of "Nobel Son" is a man that has a knack for bringing interesting stories to the screen, as he proved with "Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School", which is a small gem that was not appreciated as it should have been. Together with his frequent collaborator, Jody Savin, they deliver a movie that never seems to surprise the viewer.Alan Rickman, a great Englis actor, is perfect as the egotistical Eli, a man who is so nasty, vulgar, and just plain hateful. Mr. Rickman is one of the pleasures in watching the film. Equally excellent are Bryan Greenberg and Shawn Hatosy, two of our interesting young actors that keep getting better and better all the time. Mary Steenburgen was another surprise as the long suffering wife of Eli. Bill Pullman has a small role, as well as Danny DeVito. We also enjoyed Eliza Dushku, who is seen as the crazy poet, City Hall.Highly recommended for fans of Randall Miller.

Movies today, are good. I enjoy what they have become, but the art has slowly dripped out of films with a few exceptions. This is definitely one of them. I was very happy with my choice to see this one, having not heard of it I went in not knowing what to expect. I felt that way until the closing credits. It was a fantastic movie of ups and downs and twists and turns, that kept me guessing. The superb acting of the veterans like Alan Rickman, Mary Steenburgen, Danny DeVito, and Bill Pullman. Eliza Dushku continues to excite her audience and prove herself on the screen. Bryan Greenberg and Shawn Hatosy have done great jobs recently and I look forward to seeing them more often. I hope Randall Miller continues his run of good movies after Bottle Shock and Nobel Son, I'm left wanting more!