Dean is a Quirky, Hilarious and Relateable Comedy
Dean (Demetri Martin) is having trouble coping with the death of her mother. His father (Kevin Kline) wants to sell the house, and Dean can only draw pictures with death or the grim reaper involved. Having recently broken off an engagement, Dean decides to accept a paid trip to Los Angeles to clear his mind. There, he meets Nicky (Gillian Jacobs) and they start having a romantic relationship together.
What made Dean so special and original to me was writer/director Demetri Martin’s ability to keep it real — every single situation is laugh-out-loud hilarious due to its wonderful script & acting. Dean is a very awkward character who fills in the checklist of “awkward character in love with female protagonist way out of his league”, but he is also wholly charming and relateable. Dean’s inner-machinations are transposed in his drawings, which are full of dark and twisted thoughts that he is able to finally let everything out after he has the experience of a lifetime in Los Angeles. The situations in L.A. are as awkward as real-life experiences — especially when Dean’s best friend thinks he’s stalking Nicky.
The supporting cast is excellent — particularly Kevin Kline and Mary Steenburgen who plays a real estate agent in charge of taking care of Robert (Kline)’s house sell. The scene in which Steenburgen makes the first move and Robert freezes before going in the elevator and expresses what he’s been feeling inside his mind after his wife passed away is incredibly emotional and showcases Kevin Kline’s incredible acting rage perfectly. I started to bubble up when Kline talked about how he feels towards Carol (Steenburgen), but also how he feels after his wife passed. That’s what I call A+ acting that deserved some award recognition, but Dean was swept under the bus by more “high-profile” movies.
Dean shouldn’t be overlooked — it’s got terrific performances all-around, leading Demetri Martin and Gillian Jacobs, who share terrific chemistry together. At first, you might think they’re an incompatible couple, but the more the movie progresses, the more you root for the couple to become, until a shocking blow to the gut brings Dean back to reality. It was a predictable twist (I won’t spoil it), but it certainly enhanced the film more when Dean decides to go back to New York and face his own reality with his father that he neglected while trying to follow his gut, even though it was all for nothing. Or was it? The experience with Nicky made Dean a better person and also made him realize how life works; it’s full of disappointments and bad surprises, but don’t let that bring you down, forward until the end. The script is raw and real, which is rare in indie movies these days. It’s simple, but so laugh-out-loud hilarious that you won’t care how simplistic and predictable the film is. Dean is an adventure I invite all of you to board, as you will certainly find high enjoyment in it.
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