'The Sitter' Review (2011)
We aren't talking about high art, but it is funny
Photo: 20th Century Fox
I wasn't immediately taken to The Sitter as we're introduced to Noah Griffith (Jonah Hill), a shlubby nobody who, in the opening moments, is performing oral sex on Marisa Lewis (Ari Graynor), a girl merely using him for her own benefit and pushing him out the door once she gets what she wants. Noah describes her as his "girlfriend," but she's clearly anything but.
The cast includes Jonah Hill, Sam Rockwell, Method Man, Max Records, Ari Graynor and J.B. Smoove. For more information on this film including pictures, trailers and a detailed synopsis choose from the following menu.
Review
"The Sitter" is a 20th Century Fox release, directed by David Gordon Green and is rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, drug material and some violence.
Noah still lives at home with his mother (Jessica Hecht) while his father (Bruce Altman) is making due in the city, married with a kid to Noah's childhood babysitter. The result of this family dynamic is a mother who never gets out and a son that seems keen on living the rest of his life on the couch in front of the television. However, at least for one night, all that will all change as Noah is called into action to babysit three children so his mom can go out and have a good time.
The children Noah has been assigned consist of Slater (Max Records from Where the Wild Things Are) who is a quiet kid dependent on anti-depressants, Blithe (Landry Bender) who's an energetic little girl determined to live the life of the celebrities she sees on TMZ and the rebellious Rodrigo (Kevin Hernandez) who was adopted from El Salvador and has an interest in blowing up toilets. Obviously each brings a specific plot developing skill set to the picture, but with that in mind, I appreciated the fact that even the most cloying aspects of the story weren't annoying as The Sitter, which is essentially an R-rated version of Adventures in Babysitting, embraces the darker elements of its story more than it's concerned with the moral of it all.
The wheels of the story are set in motion when Noah is called on, once again, by Marisa who calls from a party, dangling the promise of sex in front of Noah if he brings her a "ticket" of cocaine. Pathetic enough to bite, Noah piles the kids into the minivan and makes way for the friend-obsessed drug dealer Karl played by Sam Rockwell. Add to this an abrasive run-in with someone Noah knew from college, a moment where he's assumed to have kidnapped Blithe as they buy her a new pair of underwear and a helping hand from Method Man and you have a potpourri of random moments that all add up to a rather enjoyable time waster of a comedy.
Walking into The Sitter I actually had no idea it was directed by David Gordon Green, a director that has never really impressed me, though from what I understand I haven't seen his best work yet, which is said to include George Washington and Undertow. As far as the films of his I have seen, The Sitter is certainly funnier than Your Highness (which was more or less a nightmare) and I enjoyed it even more than Pineapple Express, which I didn't find as appealing as most did.
The Sitter isn't the most inventive of comedies, depending on moments of potty humor, jokes we've seen in films of a similar nature and a slew of eccentric and unrealistic characters filling up the landscape. Yet, considering the brisk running time and the fact it doesn't dwell on trying to wrap everything up with a nice, neat bow, I found it to be a decent breath of R-rated fresh air.
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The first three David Gordon Green movies – George Washington, All The Real Girls and Undertow – are all very good. …Girls, in my opinion, is a small masterpiece, while George Washington has something of a Terrence Malick vibe. I recomend the three movies.
I haven't seen neither of the three comedies he's done lately, but based on the reviews of the latest two, I feel sorry for him. Better yet, not sorry: pissed. That looks like pure waste of talent (and greed).
I have a choice to see this one or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy this weekend. I was going to watch the one you gave the best grade, but you gave them both B-. So which one do you think is better regardless of the grade?
Very funny movie, I just came back from seeing it. Jonah Hill gives another hilarious performance. Sam Rockwell, Method Man & J.B. Smoove were hilarious in their respective small roles. The 3 kids played by Max Records, Landry Bender & Kevin Hernandez were annoying at first but they got better as the movie moved forward. Ari Graynor (who usually makes me laugh) well doesn't do much here but wasn't her fault, her character wasn't really well-developed but other than that, she's always hot.
Bridesmaids is one of the funniest movies i've seen and still easily, the funniest movie of the year. I thought this movie would give Bridesmaids a run for it's money but because of it's pacing problems in the middle, doesn't even close. Still, it was a very funny short movie.
Didn't Joan Crawford once say that if you wanted to see the girl next door, go next door? Aren't the people inhabiting movie land supposed to all be better looking than average? Isn't that part of the hook that makes it easier to care about their story? All the actors and kids in Adventures In Babysitting were cute or good looking, except maybe the villains. Neither the babysitter, nor the kids above seem cute. Wouldn't it be cheaper to ask some local kids "what's up" than to go to this movie?
When you pay to see sports, you pay to see the best. And when you pay to see actors, you want to see something you won't see next door.
You're comment is so wrong it's stupid. When going to see a comedy, it can be tough to relate. You need people that look just like you and not movie stars. Movie stars take you out of it. I guess you will be the one going to see New Year's Eve this weekend. Pity.
I think people want to aspirationally relate to good looking people, expensive houses, no money problems, and having a dependable circle of friends.
I don't think you sometimes find fat people in films because people feel they can relate better to them. People want to feel superior to them! That's part of what makes it "funny".
I hate to break it to you, but humor and laughing feels good biologically because it's source is a sense of superiority over others. People are very status conscious. So the people laughing at the actors in Dumb and Dumber are laughing because they feel a sense of superiority over the characters. These comedians being not so good looking is not an attempt to make you relate to them, but to feel superior to them.
Yes, I agree it's hard to laugh at someone who is better looking than you, has a better house, more friends, and more money. But laughing at the less fortunate is not my idea of a comedy either.
This comment is a direct contradiction to your first comment. Stop being stupid. Go read an Entertainment Weekly.
It is not a contradiction. Having not so pretty people on screen is not a draw. If it IS considered a draw, it's only to make the viewing audience feel better about themselves vis a vis the characters. Similar to a freak show. Therefor, these people should not be on screen for a national audience in any case. Understand?
I realize this is an uncomfortable and sensitive topic, but it's reality. Yes, reality bites, sometimes. Pretty people have it better than the not so pretty, kids have become cute in order to help avoid starvation and neglect, and a black woman in america will face more problems, on average, than a white male. These are the bad facts.
I just saw this film, for free, and thought it was one of the worst films I've seen in a long while. Most of the jokes fell flat, Jonah Hill was mind numbingly stupid, the kids were annoying. The fact that it kept going from him being a complete and utter lowlife degenerate, to being the moral compass that guides these children to better themselves was rubbish. The only highlight in the movie was Sam Rockwell, and even that was pushing it.