Cyrus

A lonely man (John C. Reilly), still in an emotional funk after nine years of divorce, meets a woman at a party (Marisa Tomei) who shows a remarkable ability to spontaneously turn his life around. The only problem (and she doesn’t see it) is dealing with the jealousy of her passive-aggressive 21-year-old son (Jonah Hill). Written and directed by the Duplass brothers, Jay and Mark, the movie has “indie darling” written all over it, and in fact was a hit at this year’s Sundance Festival. Performances all around are acutely well-tuned (including Catherine Keener as Reilly’s supportive ex-wife), in what is essentially a tight little four-sided chamber ensemble piece. The resolution is hasty and not entirely persuasive, and that’s the only drawback; still, the movie is short and, in its way, sweet.