About Cyrus (2010) 
John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill and Oscar® Winner Marisa Tomei star in this quirky, hilarious story about love, family and cutting the cord. Not-so-recently divorced John (Reilly) thinks he’s finally found the perfect woman when he meets the sweet and sexy Molly (Tomei). There’s just one problem – Molly’s son Cyrus (Hill) clings to his mom like lint on a T-shirt, and he’s not about to let another man come between them. It’s one hysterically awkward moment after another as John and Cyrus fight for the right to be Molly’s #1 man.
Starring: Marisa Tomei, John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Catherine Keener
Directed by: Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass
Runtime: 91 minutes
Studio: Fox Searchlight
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB
Review: Cyrus (2010)
Starting a relationship with someone who already has children is not always straightforward. If the children still see both parents they may resent the presence of a new man or woman in their home. In Jay and Mark Duplass’ Cyrus we have a similar scenario where a lonely man meets the woman of his dreams but finds a seemingly unstoppable obstacle in her teenage son.
John (John C Reilly) has been down on his luck ever since his marriage ended seven years ago. When his ex-wife Jamie (Catherine Keener) announces she is getting married, John is inconsolable. Jamie decides he needs to meet someone and takes him to a party. John’s advances are rebuffed by every woman he approaches until he meets Molly (Marisa Tomei) and the two fall for one another. Initially ending their dates at John’s house, John eventually follows Molly to her home and meets her son, Cyrus (Jonah Hill). Initially welcomed into the home, John soon realises Cyrus is less than happy to have him around and begins to sabotage his mother’s new relationship any way he can.
Cyrus begins as something of a comedy with John proving inept when it comes to meeting women at a party. After getting drunk he proceeds to urinate outside only to have Molly wander over and admire his penis! It’s an unusual introduction but John and Molly hit it off and spend the night together only for her to sneak off before John wakes though she leaves a note asking him to call. They see each other again the following night but again Molly sneaks off early the next morning. John follows her and bumps into her son Cyrus. John finds mother and son have a very close relationship, so much so that she has to leave the bedroom door open in case he needs her.
What follows is partly comedy and partly drama. John’s trainers go missing to begin with before Cyrus plays his mom and John off against each other informing them both separately that the other thinks the relationship is going too fast. Cyrus’ calculating ways are not seen by his mother and John is gradually pushed further and further away. Though he wants to tell Molly what her son is up to he doesn’t want to risk losing her. When Cyrus eventually admits to John what he is up to, battle lines are drawn between them but who will emerge as the winner?
Cyrus played more like a comedy for the majority of the film before turning serious in the last fifteen minutes or so. It made the film seem somewhat uneven and not really sure what it wanted to be. It’s probably too short as well, building up quite well to an inevitable conflict but one which is resolved very swiftly. The main cast are good with Reilly reliable as usual. In the end though this feels like it could have been a great film but instead it’s just a quite good one.
Cyrus isn’t a new idea and the ending is very predictable after managing to tackle the uncomfortable rivalry between a mother’s boyfriend and her son. This may have worked better as a drama but everything prior to the final few reels plays more like a comedy, albeit a black one. There are some good things here but it could have been better.
Verdict: 3/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Cyrus | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
