Infinity Baby

The film is a bit uneven with humour and pacing but it was definitely funny and quite interesting. Acting was very good and I enjoyed the dark comic satire and the implicit examination of apathy in America. Rewarding for lovers of indie film.

Perhaps I saw a re-edited film. I saw this on April 4 at the WI film festival. The film was funny (and coherent). It was running short at only 70 mins and Bob Byington said he was planning on re-editing it for another showing in San Francisco. I really enjoyed the film. Lots of strong performances by well known actresses / actors. I recommend this film.

"Infinity Baby" is a very strange movie and I can undestand why it's a relatively unknown little film. And, the strangest thing about it is that there really isn't much plot...mostly a lot of weird, quirky folks acting strangely. Again and again, there are funny situations which in many cases end with no real laugh or punchline. It's all quite odd...and a film that almost defies description. When it comes to plot, well, you'd think there's going to be one but instead there are just odd situations that ultimately have to do with commitment or a fear of commitment. I didn't really enjoy the picture and wish the plots had been hashed out more and more done with the whole 'Infinity Baby' notion. Strange and DEFINITELY not for all tastes.

I really liked Infinity Baby. After reading that it opened to uproarious laughs, I found the humor somewhat quieter than I was expecting. That said, I saw it in the afternoon on a weekday at SFIFF, so we were probably a less lubricated, tamer crowd.

Kieran Culkin as Ben is great, and every woman in the cast gives a stand-out performance. One of the best tricks of the film is how we watch Trieste Kelly Dunn's character Allison through Ben's warped perspective, and then later see her personality re-framed more objectively. This is in part, thanks to Dunn's acting, though I'm sure it's also in the direction. Having seen it only once, I can't put my finger on how the shift is so palpably realized, but it's fantastic. I'm pretty sure there's no sound effect of a record screeching to a halt in the soundtrack, but that's the feeling that is captured during that scene.

After an intentionally-predictable (and perfect) plot twist, the film hits its stride both in terms of humor and its hints at depth, but then it ends, sooner than you'll want it to. It makes sense that the laughs would build once we're familiar with the world of the movie, but I'm not sure the depth felt earned or explored as much as it could have been.

Nick Offerman is a lovable actor, and while I love watching him as Neo, it also felt to me like he was being brandished like a secret weapon, when this movie didn't need a secret weapon. Everything and everyone around him in Infinity Baby is already strong and held more surprise.

After the screening, I waited in line for the restroom and a man (whom I later confirmed was the critic for Variety) asked me skeptically, "Did you get something from that?" I said an agnostic "I did, yes." He said that the movies make him laugh a bit but don't amount to anything for him. I felt a little tongue-tied, and conveniently the restroom became available just then, so I said "I have many thoughts about this, but I'm going to go to the restroom now."

The main thought I opted not to share with the critic is that my review is biased by an unwieldy crush I have on Bob Byington, whom I met by happenstance last November before I'd ever seen any of his movies.

The unique premise of babies that don't age is an interesting side plot to provide an effective allegory for the main plot. The performances from the ensemble cast are appropriately dry and very entertaining and the cinematography adds a lot to the quirky yet formal tone. I would recommend this film to anyone in the mood to think. This film is a slow burn, but a very good, very effective slow burn.