DVD Review

Title: Meet Bill

Studio: Greene Street Films

Director: Bernie Goldmann, Melisa Wallack

Principal Actors: Aaron Eckhart, Jessica Alba, Logan Lerman, Elizabeth Banks

Length: 95 mins

Release Date: August 12^th. 2008

Language: English, Spanish subtitles available

Rating: 14A

Reviewed By: Alexander Hutt (Vancouver Correspondent – Canada)

Meet Bill has a simplified layout of the DVD, which works in this instance because the plotline and movie itself are fairly basic. That is not to say that the movie does not have its share of good humour. Bill is an under qualified middle-aged worker, who works in a fabricated occupation at his father-in-laws’ bank. Bill’s life is hitting the bottom of the drainpipe, as he discovers his wife is cheating on him, his body is increasing in it’s corpulence and most of all he feels like he has not completed anything productive in his whole lifetime; this sounds like a perfect set up for a clichéd movie about a man who changes for the better and all the loose, negative ends of his horrid life are tied together in a knot in the finale of the film.

Meet Bill is interesting because it does not completely flow down this much-traveled cinematic road. For instance, when Bill enrolls in a mentoring program to high school students, the lessons he teaches are far from moral. The Kid (Logan Lerman, whose character is never referenced by actual name) on the other hand, is the one that seems to be the mentor in the relationship. This is the most interesting dynamic in the film, and Lerman and Eckhart play off of it very well, showing good chemistry in the roles. Another example is Bill’s wife Jess (Elizabeth Banks), one of the least lovable characters in the film. At most times, it is hard to empathize with her in her affair with a reporter (Timothy Olyphant), as she is vindictive and even unsympathetic; but out of this situation come some of the movies funniest moments. For example, the scenes in which Bill confronts Jess and her lover, which include a shotgun and several restraining orders.

The cast performances are all higher than average, with Logan Lerman shining as the charming but oddball Kid, providing some of the lighter moments of the film, and carrying the scenes in which he is opposite Jessica Alba. Lerman’s acting props up Alba’s forgettable performance, and adds dimension to Bill’s character by showing fragments of Bill’s more childish nature. Alba is the sole disappointment in the actor pool for the film, often smiling unnecessarily to get her way through scenes and relies on the supposed sex appeal of her character (a lingerie saleswoman) rather than making her portrayal memorable.

This is both Bernie Goldmann and Melisa Wallack’s first and only (to this point) attempt at directing a full-length feature movie, and while it certainly is not the greatest film in creation, the co-directors demonstrate that they are able to manufacture a pleasurable cinematic experience. The soundtrack however, is a tad distracting, if not more than a little repetitive. It sounds like the aim was to create an atmosphere of anxiousness along with a sense of tight space or time, but instead the music leans towards the cartoon in nature. The climax and the ultimate finale of the film is more than a little surprising. Even so, the ending might not prove to be completely satisfying to the viewer. Nevertheless, it can surely be appreciated for its originality. Still, the film seems to be lacking an event that makes it memorable, rather than just being a cute, funny film about life; it is most certainly not a film about answers. 

Meet Bill is an interesting foray into the mindset of a middle aged man, and coupled with a good amount of laughs, can lead a viewer through the duration of the film, but it might not be interesting enough to venture through a second time.

Meet Bill is a simple movie, and so it is coupled with a simple DVD format. There are only four menus for the DVD: the usual set up, scene selection and such. The special features section does have a compilation of 10 deleted scenes from the movie, in most of which you can see why they did not make it into the final release of the film. This includes a scene in the showers where Aaron Eckhart’s nude body is discussed negatively, which is less funny than it is needless. Other than the deleted scenes, the special features are extraordinarily bare-boned. There is a selection of previews for some other upcoming and current movies, but that is the extent of the special features.