Really Surprised!

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

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.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

A young man is a psychologically mess... his girlfriend leaves him, he doesn't mesh well with his friends, he loses his volunteer job. He turns to the strangest place for help: a Canadian therapist who moves in with him.This is director Oliver Irving's first and only film, as of this writing. And it's a good one. It is an IFC film, and there's no denying it fits in that category alongside Wes Anderson films and perhaps "Garden State". This won't be as big, and with good reason, but thanks to Robert Pattinson's popularity, it will get more viewings from people who would otherwise never have heard of it.I really enjoyed the therapist (who sadly appears to have passed during the making of this film). And Pattinson does a fine job as a whiny nerd. His character is incredibly annoying, but such a different one from "Twilight" or "Remember Me" that it gives me the sense that he just might have a bit of range inside of him and may someday break free of the Edward Cullen trap.

'How To Be' starts off strong but quickly turns into a drawn-out yawn of a movie. The plot progresses slowly and the character development of Art, played by a blasé Robert Pattinson, turns the viewer from understanding and caring (about what happens to his relationships) to annoyance. His mates are, in my opinion, there to fill the gaps in the story- they really never help Art in his quest for 'normal' and to be blunt- it was too difficult to understand what they were saying (at one point I had to turn on the subtitles so I knew what was going on) this is never a good sign.There is hope, however, for the young Mr. Pattinson. Though Art seems like a lost cause from the first moment he lies, Robert in a small way- keeps this movie a float. At some points Art is such a downer (which is brought on by his own doing) that I found it hard to 'put' myself through the rest of the movie. There are comedic moments when Pattinson is charming and moments when he holds your attention (close to the end) but it does not change the outcome of the overall film witch just leads one to believe- yes, sometimes we all need a little help- and in this case it is the film that needs it.'How To Be' could be considered an art house flick but it is 100% and Indie drama. The settings are the streets of England and the overall production creates the feeling that you are standing in the midst of their conversations (when you can understand them) and the music helps the movie along nicely, but then again the music is by and large,too drab.

How To Be is an independent film written and directed by Oliver Irving. Humor and anguish are expertly integrated into the story of Art Freeman (played exquisitely by Robert Pattinson), a twenty-something lovable loser who feels that his life is less than it should be. The movie follows Art along a path of discovery and maturity, both for himself and his life-long friend, the agoraphobic Ronny (a superb performance by Johnny White). Art spends his time working at a local grocery store and volunteering in an attempt to make something of his life; although his true passion is his songwriting and performing. When his girlfriend, Jessica (Alisa Arnah) dumps him he is forced to move back into his parents' house; a situation that is made more uncomfortable by his mother's (Rebecca Pidgeon) reaction that it was simply "a matter of time." Art's self-loathing leads him to the self-help section of a bookstore. It is there that he finds his glimmer of hope when he discovers the book, It's Not Your Fault by Dr. Ellington (another great performance by Powell Jones). Not only does Art read the book religiously, but he spends his inheritance to bring the author to his home to personally help him through his life. As expected, comedy ensues. But along with the hilarity there is an ample amount of melancholy. Art's parents are not the nurturing, loving parents that every child needs. He is a constant disappointment to them, and they make no qualms about telling him this. His seemingly unfeeling mother nearly collapses while trying to prevent him from hugging her! They offer him absolutely no support in his dream of becoming a musician. Oliver Irving's creative mix of eclectic characters provides the audience with a wide variety of humor. The story is captivating and the acting is accomplished. It is altogether a brilliant film, worthy of the honors it has received. And, from this reviewer's standpoint, if one wants to put an entire theater of women into a frenzy…have Robert Pattinson say the line "I have an erection." Well done, Oliver!!

I was one of the lucky ones to see this movie at Slamdance. I absolutely loved this movie. "This is not your typical Robert Pattinson movie. He doesn't play a good-looking, heart-throb. Robert plays Art, an insecure, confused, depressed, misfit who has no direction, no real social skills, and no support from his parents. His only love is music, but he sucks at that too. After the break up from his girlfriend, he basically looses it and has to move back in with his parents. This is his struggle to become "normal" so his parents and friends will accept and love him. He even goes to the extreme of hiring a self-help professional to help him. You will feel so sad for Art – trust me! Don't get me wrong, this movie contains endless British humor to lighten the subject up. A wonderful independent movie with a great message. A job well done for Robert Pattinson.