Memorable, crazy movie

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Seems like most viewers are disturbed and offended by the main character Jimmy.Jimmy as a character is *supposed* to bother you.His wild and offensive nature is written to show you how deeply you're unwilling to let yourself live fully and truly to yourself.He says it himself in the last 30 minutes, but I suspect people just watch the movie as being about "some other guys in an apartment" and have no capacity to see art as a reflection to question their own lives.I feel that this movie was written from the "cutting edge" of what's *actually going on* in the world today, beneath surface appearances. It shines a brilliant spotlight on what, in my humble opinion, are some of the defining questions of this day and age: What do we do with this incredible opportunity that being alive in the 21st century affords us?If you were dying of a terminal illness (hint: you already are), and had all your basic needs accounted for (hint: you already do), what would you do with your life? Would you want to dance around your apartment alone and naked like Jimmy? If so, is that what you *really* would want?Would you want to "give back" by joining the workforce like Jimmy's roommate? If so, is that what you *really* would want?While watching this movie it's a good idea to put yourself in Jimmy's shoes rather than having a kneejerk reaction of seeing him as "just some crazy guy", while having the also-kneejerk reaction of seeing his roommate as "the sane one". Thank you Matt D'Elia for what you did here.

Jimmy and James have rich parents and live in a nice apartment in a big city. Jimmy has long hair and a beard, and he takes a lot of pills because, he says, he is dying. But he also abuses drugs that aren't prescribed for him, sleeps when he wants, acts like a maniac, does impressions of celebrities and pretty much does whatever he pleases. He even made up his own language and has told people his name isn't Jimmy any more. It's something that makes about as much sense as Prince's symbol.James, on the other hand, tries to be responsible, though he too seems to smoke pot. He has gotten a job as a paid intern and isn't sure how Jimmy is going to take it.Sharing their apartment is a dog named Billie who doesn't seem to do much of anything, and yet the camera focuses on Billie every now and then.There are works of art all around the apartment, ranging from what kids would put on their parents' refrigerators to copies of the great works such as The Mona Lisa. Classical music is playing throughout most of the movie, and Jimmy pretends to conduct in at least one scene. It's not clear whether the music is really being played in most of the scenes, or if it is just the audience hearing it.Most of the movie involves a visit from two pretty girls, both named Angela. The blonde one is a lot like Jimmy, casually dressed and carefree. The brunette one dresses like she has a clerical job in an office and seems more uptight. Yet both girls are willing to smoke pot, and both show evidence of being somewhat like we thought the other was.The guys and the girls have fun playing games and even decorate for Christmas despite the fact it is August. A song obviously based on "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" plays, with a vocalist that sounds like Brenda Lee.But the movie is not all fun. Eventually it gets serious, such as when Jimmy finds out the truth about James' job, and at one point Jimmy has to rant about just about everything that is wrong with the world. At some point, he does have to face the fact that he is dying. Or at least he says he is.Is this a quality production? It sure feels like a low-budget film, and often these are some of the best. In fact, the man playing Jimmy directed and wrote it too. He does quite a good job with the impressions and the crazy behavior. Whether you have the patience to get through the more serious scenes depends on your taste in what are called "art films", which I guess this one is. It starts out as a crazy comedy, but that just can't continue.The other actors do a good job.The classical music does make this more pleasant than some movies which can't get along without today's hits.I saw this on broadcast TV, but I could tell the language had been cleaned up A LOT.Is it good? I've certainly seen worse.

Words like "wild" and "madness" are cliché, but there's really no other way to describe American Animal. Just like Jimmy's (Matt D'Elia) more straight-laced roommate James struggles to voice his own concerns, ambitions, and feelings in the face of Jimmy's relentless energy; it's hard to describe the film as anything other than completely mad. Ultimately this is what made it so challenging at times, but also so engaging. This is no holds-barred madness that refuses to be channeled in a single vein, and the film jumps from one bizarre scene to the next; each a different manifestation of Jimmy's deranged psyche brought to life. Jimmy is Fight Club's Tyler Durden reinvented; half as violent and twice as zany, obsessed with Hollywood actors and costumes instead of Project Mayhem and underground boxing. But like Tyler Durden, Jimmy fights what he perceives to be the conformist indoctrination of the masses with his own extreme doctrine and is mercilessly intolerant of his friends' more "normal" views. He leaps before he looks. He acts, then asks for forgiveness, or doesn't. The film drags and is at times overly dramatic, but the whole thing builds and builds until it spirals out of control. It offers some severe gut-checks amidst the chaos, offering clarity in the confusion, and it gives the film the uncompromising point it searches for.

When I first walked into the film, I wanted to have an open mind about what I would be watching, and I can honestly say I'm glad I did. American Animal was really interesting as it combined the feeling of an art-house film, with the song "Lazy Sunday". I thought it had some genuinely funny moments, while raising a couple social issues that are pretty present in my life. I had a fun time watching it and made me happy to see an Indie director put his work on the screen.I've seen a lot of films about eccentric personalities, (mostly because I have one myself) but Jimmy really out did himself in this one. When I was first introduced to him in the film, I got the impression that he was a "seize the day" kind of guy and that he was going to be a fun character. While I was watching the film I really got invested in his character and thought he was one of the strongest part of the film. While we was a bit grating at times, he had some really heartfelt moments and was definitely the most memorable part of the film.