My First Mister (2001)

Friends, family, fate...forever. A wonderfully compelling and very touching movie, on all counts. A story of trust, truth, reaching, communicating, needing people. See this. That's really all I have to say, but the computer tells me I need another line, so here you have it, plus a bonus line. Enjoy, computer.

Fmovies: What a great surprise this movie was. I sat down to watch it with no expectations. I was almost instantly hooked and when Brooks made his entrance I could not switch off. Beautifully written and played, Lahti directs with a sure touch and sensitivity not often found in modern movies. The relationship between the two leads is outstandingly portrayed and totally believable due to the way the whole thing is handled. My only criticism is the title of the movie. Together with the synopsis it seems the movie is going to be sleazy and not a little tacky. Maybe it could have been called "J & R" or almost anything else other than "My First Mister". I have not seen too many Albert Brooks movies but I will certainly search some more out. I loved him in this. A very underrated actor and an extremely underrated movie. Why has it been overlooked by the academy and critics and general public?

I got this DVD only because of the two leads who are two of my favorites. I expected another crappy film like Ghost World which on my scale was a -5.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a really good effort and an enjoyable, meaningful movie. Kudos to the actors and especially Christine Lahti who showed that she is just as good behind the camera as in front of it.

She successfully created a cross-generational movie. See this whatever your age!

My First Mister fmovies. My First Mister is about a gothic and angry teenage girl named "J"(Leelee Sobieski). She doesn't have any friends, hates her family, you might as well put it that she hates her life. One day while she is looking for a job, she stumbles upon "R"(Albert Brooks) a 49 year old man with a beer belly. "R" turns out to give "J" a job at his store and the two of them turn out to be friends and what is next is a wonderful friendship that could last a lifetime and change both "R" and "J" and the way they feel about life. I really enjoyed My First Mister, it was clever, funny and very interesting. It kind of reminded me of Ghost World. I would give My First Mister 9/10

I think the first hour of this film is the most enjoyable thing I've seen in a long time. Great plot, characters and acting. Sobieski and Brooks make their characters real people, not stereotypes.

The last 45 minutes are a little melodramatic for my tastes, but by that time I was so invested in the characters, I stuck with the film. The ending is a little ambiguous, which seems much more plausible than a typical "Hollywood ending".

A feel good weeper comedy/light-drama, "My First Mister" tells of the coming of age of a teenaged pin cushion goth female (Sobrieski) who's into self mutilation and talking to dead people and her platonic love affair with a middle aged conservative and phobic man (Brooks). In this flick about strange bedfellows and a Spring/Autumn relationship, Lahti turns the lens on the female character illuminating many of the insecurities which beset and befuddle teen females and proves once again on celluloid that love conquers all. As the film wears on it plateaus and becomes somewhat muddled by unnecessary quirky characters and an side plot about Brook's past in an apparent attempt to jerk the last tear and keep feel good moments coming. Nonetheless, rising star Sobrieski proves to be a capable and durable centerpiece for a film worth watching front to back.