Darling Darling (2005) User Reviews

Sweetly Bizarre

[shaggycub · 10/10 · 28 November 2005]

I saw this short before a main feature at The Coolidge Corner Movie House in Brookline, MA and was completely unprepared for what I saw. It's a surreal story involving a teenage boy coming to pick up his date and having to wait with her father while she finishes getting ready. This very surreal, yet good natured film is like the flip side to "Eraserhead"-an outward manifestation of the protagonist's inner anxiety. Only instead of bleak and dark, the situations are absurd and benign (the film is well lit in warm sunny tones, which add to the otherworldliness of the events). The parents of his date are more than a little bit strange, yet well intentioned and genuinely friendly towards the boy-and completely oblivious to the non sequiturs and general weirdness that abounds. No sense of malice, just a series of random events, surreal set pieces, and one very unsettled boy. I really enjoyed this short film and feel fortunate to have seen it on the big screen. If you get a chance to catch it, do so-it is as unique a film going experience as one is likely to see and a genuine pleasure.

Unique and hilarious

[matthewjacob · 10/10 · 29 September 2005]

I had the extreme pleasure of seeing Darling Darling for the second time at the 2005 Palm Springs Film Festival, and let me tell you, the absolute absurdity of Darling Darling had me nearly on the floor from laughing so hard. I haven't seen absurdity this funny since Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life", although that description won't prepare you for what happens in this film. It also contains one of the most original and hilarious guitar solos ever put to celluloid. Period. Michael Cera's straight performance had me sold the whole time, and Mr. Darling is priceless. I certainly hope to see more from Matthew in the future. A great and truly unique short all around!

This film follows Harold (Played by Arrested Development's Michael Cera) on an unusual and uncomfortable trip into the home of the Darlings.

[Robin-D-Brown · 10/10 · 29 September 2005]

Best use of taxidermy ever. Darling Darling is a hilarious piece of candy that tastes like original film-making at it's best. Michael Cera of Arrested Development mastered his portrayal of the awkward teenager once again. Even the old people attending the Palm Springs Film Festival couldn't help but enjoy this "twisted tale." Director Matthew Lessner has a style that I can say is truly unique. Keep up the good work Matt. This is such a cheesy post but I need to fill up 10 lines. Everything is true though, it really is great. If you get the chance to see this film and you don't go see it then you should feel bad and cry a lot knowing it was probably your only chance.

Q: Why is Michael Cera funny in this movie?

[gbmb · 10/10 · 29 September 2005]

A: Because he is a brilliant young actor with impeccable comedic timing.

Once you get over the fact that you have crapped your pants from laughing so hard, you will come to realize that Darling Darling may have been the best short comedy you have ever seen. Nothing should be said about what happens during the short time that Harold waits for his prom date to finish getting ready because it probably won't sound funny and it would spoil the viewing experience.

Any fan of Arrested Development and Michael Cera would truly enjoy this original comedy that drags you off the beaten path and sprinkles you with happiness.

Love it!

[theinnerlight28 · 10/10 · 20 August 2006]

Darling Darling is hilarious!!! I saw it at the Ann Arbor Film Festival in April 2006 with my roommate and we both couldn't stop laughing. Even when it was over we couldn't stop thinking about it and couldn't help but laugh through some of the more serious films. Go see this film!!! Michael Cera is a lovely perk. I had only seen one episode of Arrested Development before I saw this movie and after I saw this movie I had to see more of Michael Cera, so I got the DVD collection of Arrested Development. Darling Darling is a bizarre funny kind of like Napoleon Dynamite. You'll be sitting there confused saying, "What!?!" while cracking up. We love it. You'll love it. Go support it. Go see it. I don't really know what else to say about it. It's hard to explain unless you have seen it!

Darling Darling turns it up!

[dfrost101 · 10/10 · 21 October 2005]

Darling Darling is a thirteen minute roller coaster of life with a little insanity thrown into the mix. Michael Cera's popular acting style coincides wonderfully with the script written by Matthew Lessner. The film is an explosion of well pieced nuances of adolescent life! The film creates all the tension of a real life situation between a boyfriend (Michael Cera) and his date's father, combined with Director/producer Matthew Lessner's quirky sense of humor.

thanks for sharing this with the world. It leaves me to believe creativity still exists in a plastic world.

Best of luck to you Matthew Lessner. A job well done!

I look forward to seeing this film played at the NW film festival

teenager harold is picking up his date for the dance when he runs into a few surprises.

[softaminal · 10/10 · 22 October 2005]

i'm not exactly sure what to say about this film. it's stiflingly original, seething with subtle uproariousness, next descriptive adjective. one thing about this film i can say for sure, it jolted and altered me. it introduced me to a brand of comedy i had been all to unfamiliar with. mr. darling gave me hope in a girlfriends father, maybe someday father in law, that isn't a brutal judge of character, but rather an genuinely interesting subversion with the inner workings of a unbiased saint. this film has been an inspiration to me as a film viewer and as a human being. i expect many good things to come of young writer/director matthew lessner.

hold your horses

[mistertopps · 10/10 · 29 September 2005]

like a modern day equus, we can feel the internal struggles and deep hurting of the main character through his eloquently displayed subtle performance. the movie is about power. the power of love. and the power of music. you can tell, through the sincerity of the stunning lensing of this celluloidal triumph, how close the director is to his subject. is it art imitating life, or life imitating art? this is a question we may never know the answer to. all I know is that life is short, but not as short as this film (unless you only live to be 13 minutes old, which at that point, you would never have enough time to learn how to read or surf the web to find this review). BRAVO!!!!