Visitors Review

Kelly Vance (2012-05-23 21:02)

The best that can be said about Everything Must Go is that it's slightly less nauseating than The Beaver.

Christopher Lloyd (2012-05-23 00:52)

An engaging character study, solidly handled by rookie writer/director Dan Rush, that gives a little insight into the sort of career Ferrell might have had if he hadn't made his bones playing nincompoops and running around bare-assed.

chrismiller88 (2012-05-21 23:42)

Better than what I expected; very pleasantly surprised

When I read the storyline I laughed aloud at the great concept andcouldn't wait to watch what I thought would be a funny, and perhapsserious/ dark comedy. What I received instead was a very realisticportrayal of a functional alcoholics life. Divorce and termination fromemployment are two of the most devastating losses a person could everexperience. The movie begins in reflection of the downward spiral thatultimately causes Nick, the main character, to lose both his wife andhis job simultaneously. What I love about this movie is how neighbors,for whom Nick has never met, befriend him and come to his rescue. Italso helps that an old friend reminds him of his good nature and goodheart. All this helps Nick regain his confidence and self respect. Themovie does a great job of demonstrating how important it is that aperson who suffers from addiction continues to communicate and open upwith people rather than shut everyone out and hide. This is anaddiction flick that starts on a negative, gives you a few real goodlaughs throughout and ends very upbeat.

Noel Murray (2012-05-21 05:44)

Rush could've approached this material in dozens of ways, but the way he chooses -- turning it into an occasionally wry, ever-earnest dramedy -- is precisely the wrong one.

asam3122 (2012-05-19 18:20)

A Wonderful Example of Ferrell's Acting Ability

"Everything Must Go" is a wonderful film. Taken from a short story byRaymond Carver, it is a simple idea, but richly textured so the viewermust look under the layers of simplicity for the story to open up. Theshort story is only a few pages long and it is very simple on thesurface. The writing is sparse, but it still makes you think and thisidea goes into the film as well.Will Ferrell plays Nick Halsey, the ex-Vice President of a RegionalSales Office. We catch him on his last day of work, downing a flask andreminiscing on the meeting where he was recently terminated afterfalling off the wagon one too many times. After getting beer, Nickarrives home to see all of his stuff in his front yard and the lockschanged. His credit cards and bank account are frozen and he's leftwith the money on his wallet and the stuff on his lawn.Ferrell gives a very wonderfully subtle performance. Carver would beproud. It seems to me that the main complaint that people have voicedwith this film was that there was no big payoff. I disagree. I thinkthere was a big payoff, just not in the sense that there was this hugechange in the character. The change is subtle, but it is there. Ferrellgoes back to his dramatic abilities to show us the story of a man incrisis, struggling to get out and he does it well. My fear is that thismovie will be misunderstood by fans of Ferrell's comedy.It is a depressing movie, but it is a simple story of finding hope aswell with comedy sprinkled throughout. My advice would be to give it achance and be rewarded by seeing Ferrell's abilities.

MLDinTN (2012-05-18 23:25)

this was about a depressing man

Will Ferrel plays a dramatic part; he's not trying to be funny. Afterwatching this, perhaps it wasn't such a good idea. He plays Nick, analcoholic that just got fired and returned home to find out his wifeleft him the same day. How much bad luck can one guy have? So, hespends the rest of the movie sitting in a chair in his front yard. Yousee, his wife threw all his things on the front lawn before locking himout and disappearing. A neighborhood kid, Kenny, helps him with a yardsale and basically be his friend. Nick also makes acquaintance with thenew neighbor, whose husband still has not moved. Then Nick gets morebad news from his AA sponsor, which really, really sucks, plus helearns he could have sued his employer for wrongful termination, but hescrewed that up too.FINAL VERDICT: A movie about a depressing guy, not worth seeing.

Stephen Himes (2012-05-17 16:36)

Will Ferrell isn't stunt casting--his size and deadpan are essential to the character.

ThreeGuysOneMovie (2012-05-17 10:53)

Will Ferrell has more range than Derek Jeter

Will Ferrell plays Nick Halsey, who arrives home from being fired fromhis job to find all his belongings on his front lawn. Nick finds a noteon his door from his wife letting him know that she has decided toleave him.Rapt with despair Nick, who is a recovering alcoholic, starts drinkingheavily and camps out on his front with all his possessions.Eventually, Nick befriends one of the kids in his neighborhood, andtogether they hold a yard sale on his front lawn to sell off everythingthat he owns.This is really a story about hitting rock bottom and figuring out a wayto start over again. Nick selling off all his belongings becomescathartic for him as he lets go of his past.Will Ferrell shows some excellent depth in this film. This was hugedeparture from his normal roles. He may not have nailed it but I admirethe fact that he took so much risk with this role. The movie couldworth checking out for that alone.I really enjoyed Rebecca Hall as the next door neighbor that helps Nickon his path to redemption. She impressed me in Vicky ChristinaBarcelona and The Town and she does an excellent job on this film aswell. I look forward to seeing some of the movies she has coming outnext year.This movie is far from perfect, The pacing is pretty slow, the endingis too abrupt and it lacked some of the emotional punch that it seemedto be striving for. It was an interesting watch however and its worthchecking out.

David Edelstein (2012-05-17 13:31)

That lawn with its scraps of a ruined life is a setting both satirical and poignant, and Will Ferrell gives a performance of Chekhovian depth.

Thelma Adams (2012-05-17 05:24)

Though the actor is famous for his outrageous roles, he delves deep into this troubled character and nails the quieter moments.

Simon Gallagher (2012-05-16 05:01)

Everything Must Go is a pleasantly engaging, entertaining human portrait - a journey that doesn't physically stray very far, but which treads a million metaphorical miles within its main character as he attempts to go from broken man to redeemed man.

Marc Savlov (2012-05-15 10:34)

Everything Must Go isn't a comedy, but it's not entirely a tragedy, either, and it straddles this razor's edge with a deeply nuanced aplomb.

scotty_cable (2012-05-14 08:09)

Everything Must Go is a well-made movie, but heavier than I was seeking

I really enjoyed Stranger than Fiction and, since I had heard WillFerrell's performance in that movie compared favorably to the one inEverything Must Go, was excited to see EMG. I walked away after seeingEMG a little unsure of whether I truly enjoyed the movie or just merelyappreciated the quality of the director's vision and execution.Everything Must Go is the story of Nick Halsey (Ferrell), a strugglingalcoholic who, in the first 10 minutes of the movie, has been laid offrom his job and kicked out of his house by his wife, all within thesame day. The rest of the movie looks at Halsey's attempt to manage thetension between wanting what he once had and trying to pursue a lifethat he desires, even though he isn't entirely sure of what that lookslike. I will start by saying I thought the acting of everyone involved,especially Will Ferrell and Christopher Jordan Wallace, was superb anda highlight of the movie. I thought the music and visuals addedsignificantly to the feel of the movie, especially how so much of themovie occurred in the front yard with the records of his fatheroccasionally playing in the background. Now I knew to expect a storythat was not a happy-go-lucky comedy (is there one about an alcoholicstruggling with sobriety), but was hoping for some morelightheartedness. I did particularly enjoy watching the relationshipbetween Nick Halsey and Wallace's "Kenny Loftus", and thought that thefilmmakers did a good job pairing the two actors up. A couple of thingswith which I walked away: first, I found it interesting how thedirector decided to show Halsey's eventual growth in the way that helet go of certain things, and to whom he left them. Afterwards, afriend of mine and I discussed how difficult these acts would havebeen, but thought it appropriate for someone trying to move beyond sucha serious issue as alcoholism. I also found it interesting that such apivotal character, like Halsey's wife, has no screen time at all, savefor her voice in one scene. It is as if the filmmakers want us to seehow much damage one person has managed to do by simply stepping out ofanother's life. Overall, I do believe that the movie was well made,with an interesting story and fantastic acting, but the mood of thefilm was a little heavier than what I was looking for.

Betsy Sharkey (2012-05-14 07:10)

No great epiphanies, just a few days, a little perspective, nicely told.

Steve Persall (2012-05-13 13:07)

Everything Must Go sounds touchy-feely but writer-director Dan Rush sets a darkly serious tone that seldom wavers. Ferrell gives himself over to the vibe, creating a character both pitiful and redeemable with the subtlest acting choices.

A.O. Scott (2012-05-13 00:51)

Rush extrapolates a narrative that is less jarring and more familiar than anything in Carver, but nonetheless true to the writer's tough, compassionate and intimately knowing apprehension of masculine defeat.

Chris Hewitt (St. Paul) (2012-05-11 10:38)

It's a low-key movie that sneaks up on you gradually until, by the end, you realize you wouldn't mind spending more time with these characters.

J. R. Jones (2012-05-10 15:28)

Will Ferrell manages to keep this rolling, though Rush's corny narrative devices couldn't be less consistent with Carver's stubborn minimalism.

Michael Dequina (2012-05-10 16:39)

Gentle understatement that stealthily but surely gets under the skin and touches the heart.

(2012-05-10 05:31)

It's An Art Movie! Huck The Faters!

Everything Must Go is an art movie. Maybe that wasn't the director'sintention but that's how I'll classify it.I give it 3 stars out of 4.Just a very simple, and ultimately touching, story about a man who'slife is falling apart and it is purely his own fault.It is nice to see Will Ferrell ACT and not play his normal over the toppersona in comedies.This is a QUIET movie. Just a mellow ride with some humor, some drama,a pleasant setting, good cinematography and production values andinteresting characters. One of the better films I've seen this year! Imight even be tempted to give it 3 and 1/2 stars! It is like hangingout in a museum for the day or a quiet afternoon enjoying a good bottleof wine. Not something you'd want to do everyday but for an afternoonit is a nice diversion from the mad, mad, crazy world we live in.And no, it is NOT a guilty pleasure. It is a good film but not foreveryone. Somehow I think this might have worked better as a UK orFrench film.I love a slam bang movie like Kick-Ass or Inglourious Basterds orOldboy as much as the next cat. But this isn't that movie.Like I said, it is a quiet art movie. Like The Music of Chance starringJames Spader from back in the 90s.Writer-director Dan Rush did a very good job. Especially since this ishis FIRST film and first Internet Movie Database credit! It is almostlike something Hal Hartley might have done but less quirky.