atticdramatics About Alex is mainly just two hours too many to spend with characters who aren't compelling and generally act like selfish jerks. Our title character is pushed to the background and probably has the least lines of anyone. It's almost hilarious how swept aside and incidental the character Alex is in a movie called "About Alex." One gets the impression that we're meant to feel bad for him, but he's still more of a plot device than a person with a complex, nuanced personality. Most of the film dwells on the ridiculous neuroses of the other characters, which lack authenticity or originality of any kind. Drama that would be better suited to a TV sitcom than a feature length movie. Yes, the fumbling discomfort of the characters as they try to deal with Alex's attempt is something we can all sympathize with, but this is the beginning and the end of my emotional participation in this story. I have a major weakness for quirky suicide movies, but it's so important for the audience to feel something for this to work at all as the basis for a movie. Suicide is a serious subject, which About Alex seems to grasp. Although the act itself is sensationalized, it is treated with some reverence. Looking at suicide through a bizarre filter can make it easier to break down, accept, understand, but I think a strong connection between the audience and the victim is key for this to work. Overall, About Alex is pseudo-philosophical, tepid and boring. It doesn't hit the right notes emotionally and it's simply not warm enough, intimate enough, close enough. A film with a similar premise, which although not perfect itself, comes nearer to accomplishing what About Alex seems to be striving for, is A Beautiful Now. My advice is to avoid About Alex like the plague, and check that out instead; at least A Beautiful Now is interesting.

SnoopyStyle Alex (Jason Ritter) attempts to kill himself in his family home. His college friends gather to visit him. Ben (Nate Parker) and Siri (Maggie Grace) are married and facing difficult issues. Josh (Max Greenfield) is the malcontent who wants to confront Alex about his suicide attempt. Sarah (Aubrey Plaza) is tired of her job. Isaac (Max Minghella) brings his young girlfriend Kate (Jane Levy) who used to work for him.This is basically a reworking of The Big Chill with some interesting actors from the new generation. I really don't want take away points for copying by new filmmaker Jesse Zwick. The biggest change is the lack of popular music. Nobody is dancing with their breakfast in this one. The best aspect is someone like Plaza stretching out a little. She shows that she can be a very compelling dramatic actress. This has some of my favorite actors around in a familiar movie setting.

Knox D Alford III (knoxiii) My bias before viewing was an expectation of a massive boring failure that I would regret watching because it dealt with attempted suicide. I couldn't have been more mistaken. My reticence in watching was duly derived from substantial repetitive experiences from most all films of this type: one location with characters you never really get to know, complex back stories left unexplained, and dark subject matter. What a surprise was in store for me! In fact the sole reason drawing me to the film was the beautiful & talented Maggie Grace and a growing appreciation for Jason Ritter. Friendship in a time where Facebook & texting have relegated meeting & talking to the fate that cd's rendered the 8 track, is a constant presence in my thoughts. So, it was invigorating to see college friends nearing 30 come together to support a friend, traveling from across the country for a whirlwind philosophical, confrontational, emotive, supportive & well paced weekend of collective personal growth. There were just enough characters to keep every minute fresh with information & few enough to not gloss over any single character & give each a quality part in the story without getting lost. This movie was extremely dynamic and as such, had no lulls. It's been said, "what a difference a day makes". Lucky for the viewer, a weekend of real, old-fashioned, interpersonal exploration & reflection makes one powerful movie. There wasn't a single moral. There were many. Whether you experienced college or high school, or were close with your neighborhood friends, this movie will without a doubt hit home for you. It was interesting how the friends had achieved varied levels of societal & romantic success, yet fell right back into the rhythm of their group identities like only a summer had passed. This will be a familiar feeling to everyone. It wasn't a love fest full of sympathy & crying on shoulders, which would be totally natural & expected. It was engrossing because of the diversity of honest feelings & reactions that made the viewer easily identify with each character. All actors were grade A, & I look forward to enjoying their acting in future films. Ritter, his best friend, & Grace were the standouts & I was relieved to see Aubrey Plaza tone down her typical sarcastic personality. In doing so, she made her character more appealing & closer to the personalities of the collective cast. I think viewers on average will rate this movie ranging from 6-9/10, but as you can see for me it hammered home an expectation-defying 8/10. I highly recommend this movie as a modern adaptation of "The Big Chill" without the killer soundtrack. It was as informative and enjoyable as much as it was provocative and insightful. Knox D. Alford, III

Clayton Davis Large ensembles have the opportunity to say different things from different characters. Before screening at Tribeca, many were calling this "our generation's" Big Chill from 1984, which was directed by Lawrence Kasdan and nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Picture. While there are obvious similarities in the number of people who are present, and themes surrounding love and death, newcomer Jesse Zwick, son of producer/director Edward Zwick, pours his heart and soul into each frame and reinvents a masterful motion picture. About Alex is a raw and beautiful morality piece about where the late twenty- somethings are presently. I loved nearly every second.About Alex tells the story of seven friends who reunite over a three-day weekend after one of them attempts suicide. As the friends take shifts to watch their unpredictable old friend Alex, past and new feelings come to the surface.An all-star is assembled that includes Aubrey Plaza (NBC's "Park and Recreation"), Maggie Grace (Taken), Max Minghella (The Social Network), Nate Parker (Arbitrage), Jason Ritter (Freddy vs. Jason), Max Greenfield (FOX's "New Girl"), and Jane Levy (ABC's "Suburgatory"). Each one of the actor's know their parts, actions, motivations, and completely immerse themselves in the characters. In particular, the standouts include Greenfield, who continues to steal every frame, from every show or film he's in, and Plaza, who takes on a new departure for herself and succeeds.Jesse Zwick, for his first writing and directorial feature, shows much promise of what could be an elaborate career. He handles his scenes with firm hands and a watchful eye of what he chooses to show and not show the viewer. He allows the surroundings, both inside and outside, become two new characters for the audience to embrace. Everything put together in About Alex is simply impressive.There are some technical hiccups that the film suffers from. Choices made by the film's editor doesn't smoothly transition from one scene to the other. As independent films go, the film stands tall on its own merits but I would have liked a more polished final product.All in all, About Alex is an absolute dream. Full of laughs and tears, the film raises the bar for this type of genre. It's a thoughtful piece that will have admirers for years to come. It's the best cast ensemble seen this year and of the Tribeca Film Festival.