Did anyone else find Alby annoying?
I found his character to be of the most annoying I have ever seen in a film. Who agrees?
shareYes. He was not likeable at all.
shareI don't think likability was supposed to be one of the cornerstones of his personality. He was a character going through a pre-mid-life crisis and one that had a definite focus on his wants above those of others.
His lack of likability was even emphasized by Elias, who he thought he had good times with as a kid but in reality he made many parts of Elias' childhood rough. He was supposed to be a very flawed character who was taught a lesson over the course of the movie, not a pillar of moral fortitude or a role model.
"Bulls**t MR.Han Man!!"--Jim Kelly in Enter the Dragon
I found Alby very appealing ! He's the reason I continued to watch the film. He's like a lot of people who just don't want to grow up and face life. He would do silly things, but I don't believe he was really cruel, just sometimes thoughtless. Who isn't ?
shareYeah exactly. His lack of maturity was highlighted in showing him being unaware that some of his actions actually bothered people.
"Bulls**t MR.Han Man!!"--Jim Kelly in Enter the Dragon
I just wrote the exact same thing to someone who recommended the film to me. There are TONS of annoying characters in the history of film/TV, but if written well and acted in a non childish way (I get it, he NEVER GREW UP) I can deal with them, like a nattering Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man", and he was less annoying in a way than this guy was. I mean, he was unlikeable from Scene One.
Plus, I didn't buy he'd have gotten married to anyone. What, he was more mature in his 20s? I also don't buy that someone who isn't a tad retarded would tell a dead-dog prank to kids with development issues. Moments like that felt very forced to me...not at all what a man-child in his mid-30s would ever do. Unless he was...um...retarded.
Throughout the film, I kept thinking that if the filmmakers had directed an actor to be less simplistic in his ways, but still hold onto the visions of youth and his action figures...one example popping up in my head is Jim Kraszinski (as I just watched an episode of "The Office" before).... as a regular-seeming guy, like many in this world, who holds on to his youth with all his might...I would've thought the film would've worked oh so much better. And more audiences (look at how little it grossed, it's sadly laughable) would've cared for the guy on his journey, and the film.
A recent example of an amazing indie film about a mentally-deficient lead character who has arrested-development, but in the sports world, is "Big Fan". He's practically a retarded man.....but the film WORKS! Granted, it's not a sunny looking comedy like this was...it's pretty dark in its tone and New Jersey locations and acting style of Patton Oswalt, but the character, and the film, feel absolutely real. This didn't.
It was well filmed, had great music, and the lead actor is a good actor....at being f'ing annoying. (Liked the supporting stars too.) It was just a colossal misfire to me. One of those cases where an hour and 18 minutes felt twice as long.