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We have a new trend and formula picture to add to the already lenghty list of them. What's a formula picture you ask? Here's 3 examples. We have the romantic comedy formula picture. Two people meet, break up, date new people, fight, end up together at the end. We have the thriller type formula picture. Someones family is being held hostage, for money, or for bank codes, ends up with the good guy father battling the bad guy and getting his family back. We have the slasher formula picture. Scary bad guy kills people, but the films hero gets him at the end. Now we have the medicated teen, clueless parents, over dramatic Indy artsy fartsy formula picture. This time we get "Thumbsucker", and yes that is the title of the picture. We get Justin Cobb (Lou Taylor Pucci) who I remember very well from the entertaining HBO mini series Empire Falls. He is a teen who, well, sucks his thumb often and can't control it. We follow him as he tries to break free from his thumb sucking obsession. His mother and father who he calls by their first names of Mike (Vincent D' Onofrio) and Audrey (Tilda Swinton). They had him when he was young, they want to feel young, so they insist on being called by their first name. His father was a former college football star, but injuries cut him short before he could go pro. His mother works at the hospital and has an obsession with a TV star played by Benjamin Bratt. He also has an annoying young brother. At school, he is taught by Vince Vaughn in the debate team. Vaughn has big nerdy glasses and awful hair. He tries to help the troubled teen, but it appears out of his reach. He also gets help from his dentist played by Keanu Reeves, in a very funny role. Now you hear these elements and you think might have the fabric for an interesting and different comedy. But we do not, not at all. First of all, the message of this film is never made clear. Is it how we all have obsession? Is it how clueless parents are to the troubles of their kids? How we want to feel young? What is the movie trying to say? Sure, it's interesting to see Reeves as a dentist and Vaughn as a goofy teacher, but what does it all it mean? What is the director trying to say? What is he commenting on? It's never quite made clear. Instead we get melodramatic, depressing, slow, Indy rock music blaring as this kid sucks his thumb, rides his back, and deals with his insane life. I felt at one point, like I was drugged, dragged into a room, tied up in a chair and forced to listen to this music. It's very weepy and odd. Once we get past the weirdness, the final threads of the film ventures into very familiar and predictable territory for these types of movies. Some good actors here, some decent performances, but nothing to stand out or really make sense of in the end. But then again, maybe that was the point of the film? I can't say "Thumbsucker" is a bad film, it had it's comedic moments, but not enough consistenticy to the plot or theory. -Tony Farinella email this review to a friend
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