Review: Person to Person (Sundance) starring Michael Cera

PLOT: The lives of a crime reporter (Michael Cera), his intern (Abbi Jacobson), a watch-maker (Philip Baker Hall), a record collector (Bene Coopersmith) and more intersect over the course of a casual New York City day.

REVIEW: There are some movies that, within the first five minutes, you can just sense won’t be for you. It doesn’t mean these are legitimately bad films, but it’s common for a director’s style to just completely rub you the wrong way, and such a thing happened to me within the first few moments of Dustin Guy Defa’s PERSON TO PERSON.

An intentionally retro slice-of-life gussied up with 16mm photography (complete with cigarette burns and print damage) and a seventies vinyl soundtrack, Defa seems to be going for a twee version of John Cassavetes, and the results are never convincing and often pretentious, despite some OK moments.

Feeling more like a bunch of short films spliced together (in fact this is based on a well-received short), some work better than others. The one that anchors them, being Cera’s investigation of a death with Jacobson is the worst of them all – a problem when it’s what pull them all together. Cera – and I’m not one of those people that dislikes him – is terribly obnoxious as a metal-loving reporter. He’s not convincing as they type of guy able to ingratiate himself enough to police that he could get off-the-record tips, not is he aggressive enough. “Broad City’s” Abbi Jacobson is fine, but its a mild mannered part and her and Cera make for an awkward pair.

Of everyone, the biggest impressions are made by Philip Baker Hall, who seems comfortable as the old-timer watch-maker, with Isiah Whitlock adding some charm as his Sinatra-obsessed best pal. Of the main players, the most interesting is Bene Coopersmith, as a record-collector chasing the con-man who ripped him off all over the city. A non-actor who’s apparently a real record-shop owner in Red Hook, there’s an authenticity to his performance, even if the hep cat patter is tough to swallow.

Defa does have a good visual style, and I admire all the exterior shots, something rare for indies. In a way it reminded me a bit of Peter Bogdanovich’s THEY ALL LAUGHED, minus the magic and charm. He has the technique, but the substance is thin – even for a mere eighty-four minute running time. It’s also a shame to see “Atlanta” break-out Brian Tyree Henry wasted in a word-less bit part as a thug – something below his talents all things considered.

In the end, PERSON TO PERSON struck me as obnoxious, but again, it simply rubbed me the wrong way. I’m sure some folks – likely New Yorkers – will find this charming, and more power to them. It’s just not something I think many beyond a very tiny audience will find compelling. It’s a few clever bits stretched very thin, and relatively forgettable.

Review: Person to Person (Sundance) starring Michael Cera

NOT GOOD

4

Source: JoBlo.com

About the Author

Chris Bumbray began his career with JoBlo as the resident film critic (and James Bond expert) way back in 2007, and he has stuck around ever since, being named editor-in-chief in 2021. A voting member of the CCA and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, you can also catch Chris discussing pop culture regularly on CTV News Channel.