Clevercell Very disappointing...

ThiefHott Too much of everything

Cortechba Overrated

Senteur As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

MovieHeart I loved this movie. 6.5? A travesty! 😊 I watch a lot of independent films, and I haven't laughed this hard since "Take Care," two years ago. I kept calling my poor husband back to the living room as he was attempting to cook, and--very rare when it comes to indies--he had a big smile on his face each time. Yet this was more than just a dark comedy. Poignant moments were there aplenty, as well.Both actors were great, but, of course, Kris had all the hilarious, outrageous lines and personality traits which he pulled off amazingly well. So hard to see the character and think "THAT guy wrote and directed this, (along with two other writers)." I did laugh out loud at Peter's straight man when he was super annoyed towards the tail end of the "motorcycle" scene. I have an MFA in Creative Writing, and within 10 minutes, I was thinking, I need to study this dialogue, who the fudge are these actors and writers, what else have they done, and why haven't I seen or heard of them before?! Beyond the great acting and humor--good plot, nicely flawed yet likable characters, well done in all areas, I thought. Any weaknesses in some aspects of the film don't seem worth mentioning because the plusses far outweighed them. Thank you for making this film. I'm sure it was a difficult road for everyone, but trust me, you made a difference. You made a unique work with explosions of brilliance throughout, and I admire you. You made me happy on a blah day and inspired me. The writing was AMAZING. See the movie. And producers-- throw money at these people! Make these guys the next Duplass brothers (I had a class with Jay in undergrad-- great guy.) I will be waiting to see what you do next.

Hellmant 'DONALD CRIED': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)An indie comedy, that I first heard about on Instagram (when they kept liking all of my pictures), directed by debut feature filmmaker Kristopher Avedisian. Avedisian also stars in the movie, as the title role, and he co-wrote the screenplay as well, with Kyle Espeleta and Jesse Wakeman (all debut feature screenwriters). The film costars Wakeman, Louisa Krause and Ted Arcidi. It tells the story of a man, named Peter, who returns to his small hometown when his grandmother dies, and runs into his old (very awkward) childhood friend Donald. The two spend the day together, when Donald agrees to do Peter a favor, and they recollect on many old memories together. The film premiered at the 2016 South by Southwest film festival, and it's now available for viewing on Netflix. I found it to be extremely awkward, and uncomfortable to watch, but it's also oddly true to life, and somewhat moving. Peter Latang (Wakeman) returns to his hometown, after being gone for many years, when his grandmother passes away. He's eager to take care of the funeral arrangements for her, and then leave town as quickly as possible. Peter realizes that he doesn't have access to any cash though. So he visits his old long lost childhood friend Donald (Wakeman), and asks him for help. Donald has been obsessively waiting for Peter to return, since he left, and he'll do anything to spend more time with him. So Peter reluctantly gets dragged around by Donald, for the entire day, being forced to revisit old memories that he desperately wants to forget. The movie is so awkward that it's painful to sit through at times. Donald is a very unique, quirky and sometimes very annoying character, but he's also an extremely sympathetic one too. We can tell that Peter used to be a pretty big jerk to Donald, at least at times, but Donald still cherished their friendship together (that Peter obviously didn't think very highly of). This is something I can really relate to, with some of my friends. In a lot of ways I can really relate to the Donald character in this movie, but I'd definitely say he's a far more exaggerated version of myself (at the very least). This is why I really liked this film. The two lead performances are fantastic, and they seem like genuine real people (as exaggerated as they might seem at times even). It's a really well made movie in that way, but it's perhaps just a little too dark, awkward and depressing at times too.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/SXjABrLbV7A

ejamessnyder I hadn't seen the trailer for this one or read much about it, so I didn't really know what to expect when I turned the movie on, and I was very pleasantly surprised. Despite the obviously low budget, the acting is extremely good. I might even say it's some of the best I've seen, which is very rare and something that's hardly ever seen in movies with such low budgets.The story is about two high school friends who meet up again twenty years later. One has moved away and moved on with his life and the other is still a child. They reconnect after one of the friend returns home following the death of a relative, kind of like in Garden State. As a matter of fact, the guy who plays the Zach Braff character in this film even looks a lot like Braff. The guy who plays the Peter Sarsgaard character is much less cool than Sarsgaard but much more interesting. Like in Garden State, the two go on a day-long adventure around town together, but the similarities stop there.After watching this movie, I read a couple other reviews online and was surprised to find out that many people disliked it. Someone said it felt like the filmmakers were trying to make a movie like one of Adam McKay's, but failed because it wasn't funny enough. I don't know how they came up with that comparison, but Adam McKay is known for his dumb comedies, and this is something much more than that. Although very funny (even hysterical) at times, it doesn't go after cheap laughs or laugh-out-loud ridiculousness. It goes for authenticity, and it definitely succeeds in that realm. No matter what anyone went into this film expecting, it becomes pretty obvious in the first five or ten minutes that it is not just another dumb comedy. Not by a long shot.Another reviewer blamed the low-key nature of the film on the small budget. I don't think he knew what he was talking about. The only thing I can think of is that these viewers are of below average intelligence and just don't understand life. They certainly don't understand this film, and perhaps find it hard to believe that these types of characters can exist in the real world. But they can, and they do. I've met many of them. And I found myself identifying and sympathizing with both of the two main characters at different points throughout the film.But I guess for some, they think these guys would be better off in a dumb comedy with little substance and big dumb jokes that really aren't that funny anyway. I guess if you fall into that category I would recommend you watch a different film such as Mr. Woodcock or Homegrown, both starring Billy Bob Thornton, rather than this one. You may find those more to your liking.The characters, and particularly the title character Donald, who is played by the film's director, are very complex and well-written. Their odd behavior would feel over-the-top and ridiculous and fake, except that the filmmakers somehow found that perfect sweet spot where instead they feel totally real. They're not the kinds of characters you normally see in movies, but they're then kind of people who exist in real life, with all their strange quirks and awkwardness. They feel almost like characters out of a John Cassavetes film.The story also feels very real. Everything about it feels real as we spend time with the characters and learn about their lives. There are a lot of questions that don't get answered, and often the characters say so much by not saying anything at all. The story is sentimental and has a moral to it, but it doesn't try to trick the viewer at any point (at least I don't think it does!), which I like. It tells its story and its message by showing us a couple of days in the life of real, ordinary people.So often characters in films are two dimensional, and that's how we see a lot of people in real life, too. You never really know someone. They keep their secrets to themselves. But this film shows us the lives of two real, complex people, which can help teach us something about those around us and blah blah blah.The story here unfolds naturally and realistically, but it's never predictable. It is in no way contrived and it feels totally raw and authentic. If ever there was a perfect example of filmmakers doing the best they could with what little they had to work with, this is it.It's the type of story that many of us could easily see happening in our own lives, and which we'd forget about it in two days as we get caught up in the next thing, being only mildly significant but totally relevant. But here, captured on film, it somehow seems profound and completely unforgettable. Although, to be fair, I did just watch it today, so it's possible that I'll forget the whole thing in two days as well. But I have a feeling it will stick with me for at least a little longer than that.So no big laughs, no big story, but that's what is good about it. It's a story about people. You don't love them and you sometimes hate them, but you feel for them. Oh yeah, I should also say that even the minor characters, like the boss at the bowling alley, were really well done and fun to watch.Anyway, I enjoyed this movie very much for a lot of reasons and I very much look forward to seeing what these filmmakers come up with next. This was their first feature film and they knocked it out of the park so I bet they can come up with something even better next time! Hopefully they don't screw it up.

subxerogravity And what is it about crying losers that makes us laugh? It's mostly because he does not realize that we think he's a looser. Donald is from a small town that he never left and is contempt with his life. His best friend in high school, Peter who has not been back in town since he left 15 years ago returns to take care of his recently decease grandma's affairs, and in the processes, catches up with a man who has not changed in all that time, which is a real problem for Peter whose not trying to go back.Donald Cried is appealing in that it's a very relatable type of thing. The filmmaker who also happens to play Donald is able to tackle the subject most likely cause he has vast experience, either being the man he plays or most likely being Peter from a very observational point of view. It's a series of characters that no matter who you are you know at least one.It has a pretty solid story about a man who has his reasons for leaving and never looking back trying not to face looking back, but gets tangle with something (in this case someone) that's too wrapped up in what he's escaping.It seems far fetch to compare this movie to Manchester by The Sea, as it will never achieve the type of recognition that film will, just because this is a comedy, but it's the same for being relatable in that trying to escape a small town situation.Very good.http://cinemagardens.com