There is somebody out there who will enjoy Bob Byington’s latest feature, “Somebody Up There Likes Me” — perhaps a lover of off-beat indie tales about the woes of entering adulthood and escaping the reality of an empty existence. For the rest of us, the film is a disjointed story revolving around a frustratingly unchanging, immature protagonist, Max Youngman (Keith Poulson).
The film begins with Max finding his ex-wife (Kate Lyn Sheil) in bed with another man when he returns home with flowers in his hands. From that point on, Max’s luck tumbles downhill as he falls in and out of relationships. He finds love again with Lyla (Jess Weixler), a waitress he works with, and marries her promptly. Things get complicated when his best friend, Sal (Nick Offerman), falls for Lyla as well.
In 76 minutes, the audience follows Max over a period of 35 years. His life appears in five-year segments, divided abruptly by clips of animated clouds. These pieces feel very fragmented, though perhaps this is meant to convey the fleeting nature of life.
Both physically and emotionally, Max remains a fairly static character and, at times, he is a little boring. He is the typical indie man-child character, unable to fully emerge as a passionate, hard-working human being.
Max’s physical appearance does not mature either, and he does not visibly age throughout the entire film. This is attributed to a mysterious blue suitcase that restores the youth of those who look inside of it. Though this is one of the more intriguing aspects of the film, it goes largely unaddressed. Lyla, on the other hand, transforms from an innocent waitress with a bizarre predilection for breadsticks to a disillusioned suburban wife. Weixler is intriguing in her portrayal and she displays versatility as an actress.
Though the film’s dialogue is largely comedic, at times the jokes lag and the pauses go on a bit too long. This creates an awkward void between the audience and the characters. However, Offerman’s deadpan delivery often rekindles the humor.
Offerman is best known for playing Ron Swanson from NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” and he brings the same delivery style from “Parks” to the big screen, though his character Sal is a little less sure of himself than Swanson. This adds a certain charm to Sal that Max lacks — Sal recognizes the absurdity of life and he accepts his faults. Offerman carries the film to the end, adding a dynamism that Poulson fails to provide. Cameos from Megan Mullally (“Will and Grace”) and Kevin Corrigan (“Grounded For Life”) also add unexpected moments of humor.
One of the film’s greatest assets is its soundtrack — Vampire Weekend’s Chris Baio scores the film with light and melodic tunes that complement the story. But this is not enough to save the film from its many flaws.
Overall, “Somebody Up There Likes Me” sends a straightforward message to audiences: life moves quickly, and it’s easy to let it pass by. Yet with its fragmented story and distant characters, the film may be easy to pass by too.
Jaime Mishkin is a staff writer. Email her at [email protected].
