Meet Bill - DVD

From 2007 comes this quirky comedy starring Aaron Eckhart as a banker with a restless soul and Elizabeth Smart as his clueless, silver-spoon wife. A charming turn by Logan Lerman really makes the flick.

Okay, enough with that. I rented this based on some Netflix recommendations or something. I like Eckhart and I like Lerman, although I didn't even realize that this kid was this kid until I saw the film. The story is cute, if not a little shallow. Eckhart plays a guy that basically hates his life. He's been cast aside by his wife, his in-laws, and his brother, and hasn't lived up to his potential. He works in the family bank doing a made up job that doesn't suit him. He dreams of owning his own business, away from the shackles of the inherited family.

Along comes Lerman. He's a high school kid who knows it all already and takes on Eckhart's character as his mentor. Really, Lerman is mentoring Eckhart. Eckhart finds himself, realizes he'd rather have happiness than money (or his wife) and does that.

The story is fine. The characters could be deeper. I found myself identifying with and liking Echart's character, getting a little crush on Lerman's character, but nothing too deep or involved. There is little in the way of development of mst of the characters. There are flashes of what could have been. A gay brother. A Snickers habit. A competitive swimming past. A kid that needs some love and acceptance. But we never get the backstory.

And some of the scenes seem very film school. Situations that are contrived instead of develop out of the situation. Filming that seems amateurish.

That said, it's a charming film worth a watch on DVD. The acting is generally good, there are some pretty funny portions, and overall, not bad.