Owen Wilson is on top form in Are You Here, the entertaining debut from Mad Men creator
Are You Here features a strong cast in this wonderfully entertaining debut from the Mad Men creator. With plenty of quirky dialogue, Owen Wilson is on top quotable form.
Matthew Weiner (creator, Mad Men) makes his feature directorial debut, which features his standard mix of dry comedy and drama. Owen Wilson plays Steve, a womanising TV weatherman in Virginia who spends his free time getting stoned with his off-the-grid best friend Ben (Zach Galifianakis), who has lost his estranged father. Steve travels to the funeral and the reading of the will, where they discover that Ben has inherited an estate worth more than $2 million. Ben's sister played by the talented Amy Poehler, has been forgotten in the will. She gets her hands on some cash but thinks her brother is in no position to take care of their father's business. Whilst Ben tries to get his life together and prove his worth whilst battling his formidable sister over their father's wealth, Steve romances the father's young 25-year-old widow.
Although Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Aniston were originally cast in the lead roles for Are You Here, Owen Wilson and Amy Poehler certainly give worthy performances. Most notably, Wilson is on strong quick quipped form throughout. It's a style we expect from an actor of Wilson's ilk. The script for Are You Here is best suited to an actor with his approach.
Are You Here has been built on being a comedy— this marketing ploy doesn't do the movie justice. Occasionally, Are You Here strikes comic gold but at its heart it's a charming, enjoyable drama that focuses on siblings squabbling over money.
