characters to reveal deep human insecurities. The filmmaker seems to be interested in constantly showing you different sides of his characters and his story, as if it was a cubist/surrealist dream/nightmare--his characters have multiple faces, his storyline can be viewed as hilarious or dark and unnerving and sometimes even, sweet. Whereas many films released these days are formally obsessed with fitting into a genre, this movie seems unconcerned in adhering to formal movie tropes-- it is at once a hilarious comedy about a man obsessed with ridding his yard of raccoons, about marriage and silly things-- then -- deftly-- the audience finds itself sliding into an absurd realm of murder and darkness and uncomfortable laughter. The truth is, most movies are one simple thing, easily digested and marketed and discarded--but this is not that. Watching this movie you just know, it was invented with a spirit of anarchy and joy and yet, despite this apparent lack of concern for normal rules of the screen, the story- telling itself still manages to keep us consistently tense and pushed toward an inevitable, at first funny, ultimately shocking conclusion. Playing the part of a cat-crazed, manic- depressive, Susy-home-maker sexually obsessed neighbor, Laura Linney turns in a performance that should make even the most cynical movie-goer prick up his or her ears. Also, Elizabeth Banks stands out in this film, especially in the end, when, after her husband, played by Maguire, finally reveals the truth he has been hiding from her all along all the horrible things he did in secret over the course of the twists and turns of this movie's wild plot . Her reaction to learning the truth from her husband is at once hilarious and gripping and would probably never be forgotten by anyone who sees it. At the end of the movie, the audience is asked to be complicit in the characters sins which I won't tell you any more about so as not to spoil things . The characters just "go on" in the aftermath of the mess they've created. That said, one could argue that the end of the film is bleak, and that that is unsatisfying. But I would argue that it is just another part of the filmmaker's willingness to throw caution to the wind: It's as if--after an hour and a half of laughing-- he's saying "yeah, it's funny, but..." Since the sins explored in the details are common sins that get wildly out of control--sins any of us might relate to--the movie plays like an allegory for our shared, collective lack of morality and while it is funny... it is also serious. Some movies are perfect-- they perfectly capture you in a web of sentimentality or comedy or darkness-- this is not that. This is not a still life.

Maguire in a career changing performance , who is living a story book existence, with a seemingly perfect home, family and circle of friends. That is, until a series of increasingly impulsive decisions thrusts him into a downward spiral that turns his innocuous existence into a living, hilarious hell. To me, there is nothing funnier than humor that makes me laugh and wince at the same time, and THE DETAILS does that in spades. The ensemble acting by an all-star cast is something to behold, with possible supporting Oscar nods to Laura Linney, Dennis Hasbert and Ray Liotta. Linney especially rises to another acting plane in her ability to turn a garishly eccentric neighbor into a believable seductress. A scene involving Liotta and Maguire on a bridge is one that I believe will still be talked about years from now. All of this is tied together seamlessly by the mature, confident writing and direction of Mr. Estes, who manages to accelerate the mundane to the horrifyingly surreal without a hint of the cinematic self-consciousness many directors have succumbed to while trying their hands at this most difficult kind of humor. Finally, I was really impressed with the way the set design, photography and soundtrack all blend together to create a sense of eerie whimsicality that eased me into a sense of anticipation—indeed participation—to the point where I was immediately rationalizing the shocking climax, as if I were the unfortunate Doctor himself. To sum up, THE DETAILS is hilarious and horrifying in a unique, naturalistic way, an example of independent filmmaking at its best.

friend/charity case, and seeming moral conscience, is played to brilliant effect. The "seeming" is very important here, as writer-director Jacob Estes offers a surprising turn in Haysbert's character, that consists of a brilliant excoriation of the tired Hollywood character trope which Spike Lee terms "The Magical Negro." With large performances including Laura Linney as a Blowsy seductress! , bold visuals, and masterfully satirical sound design, "The Details" is stupendously entertaining, a Brechtian meditation on questions moral, social and existential. Estes' film is by turns hilarious and horrifying, often in the same moment. Not to be missed!!!

of it for you. Suffice to say, you will not get what you're expecting. If you want something normal, this isn't it... I will warn that sometimes the movie makes your stomach turn, as you're forced to live in the shoes of a morally suspect character... but I think that was the point. There are no good or bad people in this movie. There are only morally gray people, who behave like raccoons... hungry, horny, needy and desperately seeking worms... I was lucky enough to see it in a recent festival screening. I think it will be really interesting to see how general audiences respond....

cute kid, and a Toyota Prius. As a doctor, he lives a moderately enjoyable life, but he feels rather unfulfilled with the lack of pleasure in his life sexually and literally. His wife, Nealy Elizabeth Banks rarely is in the proper mood, even when the kid is asleep, so Jeff frequents various pornographic websites to satisfy his typical male urges.But it's to the extent he goes to satisfy his deeply unsatisfied urges is when The Details takes off and becomes almost fearless. Jeff decides to commit an act of infidelity with a close friend named Rebecca Kerry Washington . They wind up having sex and it's all downhill from there once her husband Peter the great Ray Liotta finds out. Upon discovering the situation, he gives Jeff two possible options on how to keep him quiet about the situation and both are equally dismaying.The shocking thing is even after this small adventure into cheating, Jeff still isn't completely satisfied and winds up accepting sex from his quirky middle-aged next door neighbor Laura Linney . While this is all happening, Jeff's other newfound interest is attempting to rid his backyard of raccoons who have been persistently digging up his sod.The Details brings to light two different things about the masculinity of males that can not be ignored; their quest for sexual pleasure and their desire to accomplish difficult and demanding tasks. The fact that the film explores these deep, inner urges of most males' psychs is a challenge from the writing department and it allows the viewer a deeper, larger motivation for the despicable steps taken by the anti-hero Jeff.Because Maguire has now completed his odyssey with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man franchise, it's pleasing to see him try out different lines of work to hopefully become known as a character actor, with roles like this and Seabiscuit under his belt. Here, he immerses himself into the deeply complex and ambiguous role of Jeff Lang and his diversity and hidden talents come forth in this black comedy of errors. This film is now available on video on demand and will be in selected theaters on November 2, 2012. Make an effort to see one of the funniest, blackest, and most deliciously subversive comedies in years.Starring: Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks, Laura Linney, Ray Liotta, and Kerry Washington. Directed by: John Aaron Estes.

continuing irritant of excessive bureaucratic government regulations and social pressures he lives in Seattle and the Prius has an Obama sticker on the bumper, and he's even afraid to hose a raccoon much less shoot it. Guns...ick. After reciting the litany of his transgressions and betrayals to her in the car, he says, "OK, so far that's the good news". The last 10-15 minutes are priceless and worth the muck to get there. Elizabeth Banks is superb in that scene, and Laura Linney is great throughout as the neurotic, obnoxious next door neighbor. There is also a good scene with Ray Liotta that sort of sets up Maguire's catharsis.Could also be titled, "The Devil is in the Details", "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished", "The Truth Shall Set You Free--Sort Of", or "Wherefore Absolution?". The philosophical and moral issues it raises could start at least half a dozen arguments all by themselves.EDIT ADD: I watched this a second time and, knowing what happens makes the first part not seem so sit-com....ish. The excellent scene with Liotta on the Skagit R. Bridge starts the second half of the movie which justifies the first. I don't know what could be done to fix it, except maybe make sure people watch the preview first, which I hadn't. Whatever, just watch it! This could actually become a cult classic, something we haven't had many worthwhile examples of for a good while.

the details has a different character for him to tackle and he did it quite well... Laura Linney and Elizabeth Banks are veterans and I do not recall them throwing away their character every before... but the best thing about this movie is the screenplay... hats off to the writer who knows how to whirl the story through the time streams gently... every act was calculated and didn't feel like unnecessary or miscalculated at all... My recommendations... do see it!

with its characters revealing more and more about their vulnerabilities and weaknesses. This is what indie film-making is all about.

keeps you wanting to see what happens next and you are both horrified and smiling about it. I really can't say to much about this movie because I don't want to give anything away but each event triggers something worse. I really enjoyed this and I recommend this sleeper hit. Overall, one of the darkest and funniest comedies that I have seen in a while and a real under the radar movie that deserves to be seen. I give it a B+.