Tedfoldol
everything you have heard about this movie is true.
Hayden Kane
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
Candida
It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.
jaredpahl
Everything Must Go clearly wants to be a whimsical indie dramedy in the same vein as Juno or Knocked Up. The look of the film is flat, functional, and down-to-earth, the music comes straight from the "We're quirky and awkward" library, and the performances give off the understated matter-of-factness that is all but required for anything indie. I don't like this kind of movie. Even the "good" ones are far too blase and sarcastic for me to care about what happens to the characters. Everything Must Go is not one of the good ones.The story is based off a short story by Raymond Carver (Why Don't You Dance?) about an alcoholic who holds a yard sale after his life falls apart. As far as short stories go, this basic premise is just fine. Feature films on the other hand, need more substance than that to fill two hours of a visual medium. I haven't read Carver's story, but it seems like writer-director Dan Rush has added a lot of padding to this tale of depression and redemption. What attracted me to Everything Must Go was Will Ferrell, who ventures completely into the waters of drama with his portrayal of Nick Halsey, a down-on-his-luck alcoholic whose life has hit rock bottom. Ferrell does some good acting here, and he never slips into his patented comedic comfort zone. The failure of this movie is certainly not his fault.So let's get into why this movie is a failure. First and foremost, it is an inert dramatic experience. There is simply not enough here to make me feel anything. The story moves along and checks all the obligatory boxes of depression, alcoholism, friendship, and redemption, and nothing hits at all. The story is clichéd to be sure, but on top of that, it's too shallow to mean anything. There's a sense that none of this matters. I have to look at the performances as a culprit. Everyone, including Ferrell, seems like they are on the edge of falling asleep every time they speak. Even as their voices get louder and you know they should be emotionally charged, it just lays flat. There is a distinct indifference to this whole enterprise. From the actors around Ferrell, including a woefully miscast Michael Pena as his cop friend, to Rush's script and filmmaking, which exude nothing in the way of genuine passion, this movie kills off any drama, any laughs, any sign of life, that may have come from Carver's story. Everything Must Go is cinema to fall asleep to. For Will Ferrell fans curious about his dramatic side, check out Stranger Than Fiction. If you have another reason to watch this, keep the coffee handy.17/100
view_and_review
I'll readily admit, this is not my favorite genre. This movie was incredibly somber, which was especially depressing considering I was expecting a comedy. One of the quotes on the movie jacket said, "Sharply funny." Not that there were NO funny moments but not nearly enough to classify the entire movie as funny.Will Ferrell was good in this bleak film. I hadn't seen something quite like this since the 80's movie "Less Than Zero" with Robert Downey Jr. Ferrell played Nicholas, a lush that just lost his job and his wife due to his habit. The movie plays out on his front lawn with all of his belongings as his wife moved all his stuff outside and had all the locks changed."Everything Must Go" dives in to the dark and pitiful world of alcoholics. Even though this movie is about an alcoholic it could just as easily be about any addiction. There is not much by way of action or anything really. The movie follows the listless Nicholas as he forges some new bonds and tries to restore old ones all while in his front lawn. It's a slow moving sobering movie that is done quite well.
schuster_mark
OK, maybe not an Oscar, but definitely some kind of recognition for the performance he gave in this movie. I'll be honest, when I chose this off my streaming service, I was a little hesitant. After all, Ferrell is known for his raucous humor (which I enjoy), but having seen previous reviews for this film - I knew it wasn't "Anchor Man" material. I was more than pleasantly surprised. Depth, great acting (by most, if not all of the cast), impeccably well placed music - and a story that most everyone can relate to.This is well worth the 90 mins or so if you have it. Proving once again that comedians can, and do, provide some of the most incredible dramatic performances on film (e.g. Robin Williams, "Good Will Hunting").
SnoopyStyle
Nick Halsey (Will Ferrell) loses his job of 16 years for drunkenness. His wife has locked him out and thrown all his stuff onto the front lawn. He befriends his new pregnant neighbor Samantha (Rebecca Hall). His cop friend Frank Garcia (Michael Peña) tells him to at least pretend to have a yard sale. There is the kid Kenny Loftus who Nick starts paying to watch his stuff.This is a small indie from newcomer writer/director Dan Rush. All in all, this is simply about Will Ferrell and whether he can pull off this quieter darker character. He's not yelling at everything and he does a good job. He is compelling and drives this movie all the way. It is a little bit jarring to see Will playing against type at first. Once I adjusted, he shows his solid acting.
