My First Mister (2001)

Jennifer Wilson (Leelee Sobieski) is a goth misfit and a loner at school. Her mother (Carol Kane) is divorced and remarried to Bob (Michael McKean). She doesn't get along with her father Benjamin (John Goodman). Technically, she's still a virgin and never had a boyfriend. She wants to make enough money to move out. She asks Randall Harris (Albert Brooks) for a job at his menwear store and he gives her the job as long as she gets rid of the hardware.I really like these two characters. They are both appealing and wonderfully lonely people. It's funny at times. It does get into trouble when first time director Christine Lahti tries to be edgy. The imaginary sequences are not good enough and it screams trying too hard. I would rather she direct this more straight. It works best simply with Brooks and Sobieski. The rest is more or less distracting.

I never understood the appeal of Albert Brooks as an actor, until now! He and Leelee Sobieski are marvelous in this movie, and their chemistry and interaction make the movie a joy.I watch it every couple of years, and I make sure to give myself a solid block of quiet time in which to enjoy it. It's that good. The dialog is witty and insightful. Once you get to know Leelee's character you pick up on her delightfully wry humor. She misses nothing about the world around her, but she keeps her rapier-like analysis of it all mostly to herself. Fortunately she comes to know some characters to whom she can reveal herself. It's all about intelligence and acuity, and she's lucky (anybody is) to make some good, smart friends.I rate My First Mister a 10 out of 10, and I do not hesitate to recommend it to my friends, and to you readers.

I was a little wary of watching this movie given the title, and even more so after reading the plot description. Just looking at the movie poster in combination with the title, it appeared to be some disgusting BDSM movie between a minor and a middle-aged man (barf). So while I was racking my brains trying to figure out why my mom would order such a movie, I read a couple reviews saying the title was misleading- it is. Kind of. I still felt like barfing in the end.Overall, this movie did not possess or enthrall me. I definitely think the plot had a lot of potential, but it wound up coming off as sappy and contrived. Personally, I didn't feel emotional at all during this film. I was expecting to be able to relate to Leelee Sobieski's character, and while I felt she gave a good performance, the actual writing made her too unbelievable, inconsistent, and at times just really unlikeable. It was hard to connect to her. Another problem I had was with the passage of time. It felt like things were happening too abruptly- before I could really become emotionally engaged. On a more positive note: I will say, there are some gem moments in the script and cinematography that made it worth the watch. A couple scenes stood out to me as particularly memorable for their lines and stylistic execution. Not a horrible movie, but not one I would recommend to my friends.

I was not ready for such a powerful, intelligent, and intricately detailed film. I had just assumed this would be another Hollywood schlock-fest featuring the dry humor of Albert Brooks and Leelee Sobieski attempting to reconnect with a teenie-bopper audience. I was wrong. This was such a strong film that dedicated itself to developing strong characters, to giving us honest emotions, and providing us a story that is not unfamiliar in the "real" world that it nearly left my jaw hanging on the ground. From the opening moments in which we are focused directly on the life of Jennifer (aka "J") to the unrecognizable change to following Randall (aka "R") My First Mister will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you realize that friendship is stronger than the clothes you wear or the amount of piercings on you face. Through the use of Brooks' "every man" persona and Sobieski's attention to detail with her character, this film gives us a rare glimpse into Lahti's near-perfect film.What initially pulled me into this film was the untraditional Hollywood story that scribe Jill Franklyn unfolds before us. I assumed, prior to watching the film that this was going to be a sexual film mocking the taboos of age in our society. From the completely baffling byline, one could only assume that we were about to experience an early version of Thirteen, but Lahti and Franklyn do something rather unexpected. The idea of sex is placed in front of us early in the film and prior to the climax, but it isn't the central focus. By building this film around the premise of friendship instead of sex, Lahti creates a unique and poignant film about other cultural taboos in our society. She eliminates the idea of sex and gives us two strong-willed characters that, perhaps in another life, may have had a sexual relationship, but now are just seeking companionship and comfort. What brings a smile to my face with this story is the way that it is developed. Lahti nearly teases us with the idea of a sexual story several times, but instead builds a solid foundation around friendship. She makes us, the audience, feel as if we are meeting two friends for the first time. By eliminating sex, she pulls us deeper within the characters allowing us to see the true "love" that is obviously between these visual opposites. I use the word "visual" because we do not believe their connection at first because of the clothes that they wear. A Goth girl befriends Mr. Rogers? Society would tell us that this could never happen, but the Lahti persuades us by giving us two of the strongest characters to play against each other in modern cinematic history.I realize that others would argue that there have been stronger matching in Hollywood long before Brooks and Sobieski, which I would agree of classic Hollywood, but recently (basically 80s to present) it is hard to find two actors that seem to compliment each other like a great cheese and aged red wine. Sobieski dove, head first, into her character giving "J" mannerisms and characteristics that seemed pure and researched. I felt as if Sobieski was one of those misunderstood Goths that I had class with in school. From the poetry, the eye movements when speaking, and the overall self-abusive negativity that she has against herself as well as those around her. She patiently waits for the right person to enter her insane life and finds that with Brooks. For those seeking his typical sarcasm and wry attitude, My First Mister may disappoint. Albert Brooks contains himself in this film. He does so to the point that midway through the feature I forgot that it was funnyman Brooks. He amazingly transforms himself into an older version, in a khaki color, of "J". The two play so well off each other that as an audience member you have the chance to enjoy both the acting as well as a very strongly developed story about family and friendship.I have talked about the story, I have talked about the characters, but none of this would have been possible if it were not for the brilliant direction behind the camera and the talented eye of minimal director Christine Lahti. At first I was unsure of how well she would be able to handle such a deeply emotional topic, if she would cliché the characters and fill their mouths with remedial dialogue that would be painful to both the eyes and ears, but instead she remained calm, cool, and completely collective throughout the entire film. It was obvious that she had done her homework prior to each scene and before each take. She had the control of her actors, which developed into some great on-screen chemistry, as well as she knew how to tactfully take us to the next emotional level. Sure, it wasn't perfect (the ending seemed a bit tattered), but Lahti remained focused and even cleverly changed the focus throughout the film with the greatest of ease. I was surprised to see that Lahti has not directed more after this project, because it was obvious that her talent was behind the camera.Overall, I thought My First Mister was a sensational film. We had a superb cast that complimented each other so well that we could easily forget that we were watching a film. We had a story that spoke emotionally and socially about friendship and family on more than just a "June Cleaver" level. Finally, we had a director that was not afraid to take risks and do her homework. This story works on so many levels that to begin to unravel it would take more time than allowed. I suggest this film strongly because it will make you think twice about passing judgment on someone due to their clothes or piercing habits, who knows where friendship could erupt! Grade: **** out of *****