Raising Genius

Unless you are a hardcore Justin Long fan, do not bother watching this overwrought, pretentious garbage. Ooooh! Look at me! I'm a "black" comedy! Hold on a second...shouldn't any type of comedy be at least somewhat amusing? Yes, the situations were comedic, but that doesn't cut it by itself. The characters' eccentricities cried out "Plot contrivance!" Everyone seemed extremely one-dimensional, which does not play well in a movie striving to make a point (beat a dead horse) about modern life/society. Poorly written and acted(Did somebody owe Ron Howard some money? How else do you explain the presence of Clint?). Justin Long must have some inside info on some Hollywood bigwigs to continue getting acting gigs; in this particular film, he outdoes himself with a horrible performance. Do not bother!

This is not "black comedy", nor any kind of comedy for that matter. This is also not entertainment. Who ever thought that having Justin Long locked in a bathroom, with his twisted Mother on the other side, screaming at each other would be entertaining? The redundant plot is neither creative, or clever, but is a plenty boring. Fine actors are totally wasted, Ed Begley Jr. and Stephen Root, especially. For a "black comedy" to succeed, it must be outrageous, which this is not. For a "black comedy" to be entertaining, it must have at least one sympathetic character, which this does not. For a "black Comedy" to succeed, it must be funny, which this certainly is not. Quite simply this is not "black comedy". Avoid at all costs. - MERK

I cant even get thru this movie. It does keep my interest...I walked away to do dishes.

I agree with the first comment in that the movie needs to make up its mind as to whether it's serious or comedic. However, overall, I did enjoy it. I found certain parts so eccentric that it was WILDLY funny, though in a horribly twisted manner. I laughed until my sides hurt at the bathroom scene when his mother picked the lock...but I won't say anymore about it. The only problem I had was that the sex scene did not seem to fit in well with the rest of the movie. I think it should have focused more on Hal's reactions than the actual sex. However, the rest of the film certainly makes up for it. Just keep in mind that the movie was rated R for a reason.

This film had so many basic movie 101 flaws; it was just a mess. The premise of the genius teenage son who locks himself into the bathroom, (surrounded by family, friends, and neighbors who are by no means helpful) seems to be a good enough start. And certainly with the talented cast involved, I thought for sure this movie couldn't go wrong. However, with a very inconsistent narrative style (voice overs from multiple characters that drop in randomly, serving no purpose other than to cover story gaps), the ever switching p.o.v. (who's story was this? Mom's? Son's?) and the confounding love-like-hate relationship with Mom and Son (are we suppose to sympathize with them, hate them, laugh at them, love them, like them?), this movie elicited nothing from me other than confusion, and the question, "What was I supposed to get from this?"