Pretty Good

Memorable, crazy movie

A Disappointing Continuation

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

This movie reminded me so much of "The Breakup". Take away the funny characters in that movie and add down to earth problems of work expectancies and the couples boredom in their relationship as it plays out in Flannel Pajamas. There is nudity in the first half of the movie, but as their relationship matures and as the husband can't see the small subtleties and their is no more nude scenes, just another breakup.I liked this movie better than the breakup because it handles the relationship and the breakup in a very realistic way. There are no smartypants here, no grand reunion of the couple, just the will of one of them to get things to work. Nothing that this charming actor can do.

They tried to make a grown-up film about why people fall in and out of love. They took a chance in a daring way to deal with a fundamentally adult story. They should be congratulated for that. The thing is...they failed.The biggest problem with this film is the writing and editing. They characters are unsympathetic (needy in a "worst of Woody Allen" way). They tell you what the characters are, but the don't back it up with deeds. They just say the words and you're supposed to believe it. They should have shown it.Instead, too much time is spent in silent prolonged emptiness that is meant to be profound. Did the editor know what the term pacing means? If every dull scene is prolonged by silence from minute one to minute one-hundred twenty...you lose the meaning of the pause. It's suppose to have a tempo.The simple act of dropping the first and last five frames of every scene would have made this film almost enjoyable and taken 15 minutes off the running time. One scene where a fully nude Julianne Nicholson stands in front of a row of windows goes on so long that I out of sheer boredom spent the time counting the freckles on her body. I counted 27,342 myself. You are free to do your own count. Counting Julianne Nicholson's freckles (as adorable as they are) doesn't make a film.If someone knows a good editor, have them take a crack at this picture. They couldn't help but improve it.

Flannel Pajamas was intelligent. The dialogue is exceptionally well written and manages to keep the viewer in the movie - as most good "Indie" flicks often do. It is more of a character/relationship study than anything. These types of movies often get overlooked when it comes to critics or the general public. It is understandable how someone who likes "XXX" with Vin Diesel would hate this movie - opposite ends of the spectrum. Likewise, for those of you that loathe the unimaginative huge budget big-named action films that pollute Hollywood and movie screens across the country, you'll love this one. Flannel Pajamas is a much needed break from the mainstream.Julianne Nicholson and Justin Kirk have excellent chemistry together, doing a superb job of portraying a couple adapting to modern-day problems that threaten to tear them apart. It comes together as a poignant love story of opposites attracting and making it work.

Film follows the relationship between two thirty something New Yorkers through their first date, courtship, marriage, and eventual breakup. Interesting concept but this film is in dire need of an editor. Film begins with a blind date at a diner where the two main characters meet. I was looking forward to experiencing the initial awkwardness of the first date; the small talk and uncomfortable moments which would then gradually transform into two people connecting on a more intimate level. Instead, the film starts mid date at the diner with the main characters and their friends who are distracting and don't need to be there. To make matters worse, Stuart (Justin Kirk) comes off as arrogant, and a bit smarmy. Nicole (Julianne Nicholson)is a mousy, dull young woman who appears to lack confidence. If you don't like the characters, who cares whether they like each other? A subsequent scene has Stuart in the rain lying his jacket between the curb and the cab so Nicole doesn't get wet, then leaves it there. This comes off more stupid than charming.As the film progresses, Justin Kirk as Stuart does begin to tone things down and the character starts to become more likable as the couple's relationship develops. But then, Nicole begins to become more selfish, childish, and immature. Nicole's change in her feelings toward Stuart seems to come somewhat out of the blue. All this results in an ending that is a downer and a bit puzzling. The actors do what they can, but the writing, directing, and editing let them down.Lots and lots of dialog here and unnecessary scenes that don't move the story. Also, several unnecessary characters and plot lines are introduced but fail to have much significance. Decent supporting performances, however, especially by Rebecca Schull as Nicole's mom. Also a surprising amount of nudity by both lead characters which was tastefully done. "Flannel Pajamas" does have some important things to say about the difficulty in sustaining relationships today, especially with so many outside influences such as family, friends, and careers. Still, I'm not convinced that investing two hours in these characters was quite worth it.