The Angriest Man in Brooklyn

As broad as Williams goes in these scenes, it’s not really his fault. He’s acting out a screenplay, credited to Daniel Taplitz, that’s peppered with bad writerly flourishes.

The silliness of the conceit is far from the biggest problem in a picture that has no clue what to do with the wealth of talent in front of the camera.

The movie is predictably sentimental at its root, but it’s also meant to be comedy, partly resting on Mr. Williams’s energetic but failed attempt to play a jerk.

Much has changed in the two decades since the release of Joel Schumacher's Falling Down, but, as The Angriest Man in Brooklyn flatly reminds us, the grievances of America's petulant middle-class men apparently have not.

Robin Williams once again proves he can insufferably crank the energy to 11 without batting an eye, only this time his frenzied comic demeanor is replaced with equally harried contempt.

Mr. Williams’ performance is so grating that you may find yourself more infuriated than amused.

Phil Alden Robinson’s overheated dramedy feels disconnected from reality in every emotional way.

I am not going to mistake this for a classic. The writing was not the best. The acting was overdone at times. But, the movie succeeds where it may have intended. It made me miss my dad and it put a tear in my eye. So, I give it probably double points for that alone. Who would have thought that an actor that I loved to watch with my overly angry old man when he was alive would be a movie that would be one of Robin's last. For that alone, it was worth a $7 buy.

This movie has an alright plot which is watchable. It is listed as a comedy but it isn't really a comedic matter, though I did find the jokes funny. At times it can be boring but the acting makes the watcher want to keep watching. No where near one of robins best movies.

There's an interesting idea at it's core, but it's material ends up feeling too cheap and dull. Especially for the likes of Dinklage, Williams (R.I.P.), and even Kunis. It's their performances that keep the movie from totally feeling like it should have been a straight to DVD release. Part of the cheap feeling comes from how the camera always seems to be slightly shaking in the majority of the scenes. It also just looks like a movie with a low-budget. The only other problems with this drama-comedy is that it's not that strong in the drama or comedy. It's emotional moments fall short thanks to an all too familiar message that says "Hey, life is short so be happy and have no regrets." With Williams and Kunis focusing on the drama, the comedy falls to the rest of the cast. Outside of the criminally underused Dinklage a hilarious cameo from Louis C.K. there's not much funny going on here. I wouldn't call it a bad movie, just a dull one that fails to elevate itself to the heights that other comedy-drama movies have obtained. It's watchable and in no way made me miserable, but I do feel like it is very weak when compared to it's competition. There's not enough humor, true emotion, or use for it's talented leads to make it particularly memorable. Instead it's just mediocre.

"The Angriest Man in Brooklyn" 10 Scale Rating: 3.5 (Bad) ... The Good: Robin Williams has a solid moment or two, though they are few and far between. The idea isn't a bad one and parts of the ending were well done. The Bad: For the most part though, the film is weighed down by mediocre performances (including Williams) and clunky direction. Williams is supposed to be a complete jerk and entirely unlikeable, but goes too far and comes across as someone who will never change. Even towards the end when Williams is supposed to realize what sort of person he has been his entire life, it doesn't quite feel like he's changed very much. It's difficult to get into a film like this when the lead is so unlikeable (all the way up til the end!) that you don't really care if he lives or dies. Mila Kunis, who is usually pretty good, was terrible in this. Not even Peter Dinklage and Melissa Leo could save this film from being a below average mess.

The Angriest Man in Brooklyn isn't that unique nor so original, instead it is a heartwarming movie that reflects the importance of families, friends and how your actions change others' feelings towards you. So it this type of movie, a 78 minutes of those messages, some giggles, but excellent performances. Nothing extraordinary, but typical and forgettable.