In tonight’s episode of Alex & The List, Alex (Patrick Fugit, Almost Famous) who isn’t very far into his romantic relationship with Katherine (Jennifer Morrison), has a grand proposal in mind and a dog trainer’s store as his backdrop. While he is busy with his plans, Katherine beats him to the punch by sending him a Google Doc that lists pretty much everything wrong with him starting from his unsportsman like demeanor to his unsatisfactory wardrobe and ending at changing his religion, which he ironically simplifies as his Jewish-Italian doctor friend getting him all set.
And that’s not all. Once Gary (Ryan O’Nan) marries, Alex has to dazzle his sister-in-law’s parents. To do so, he needs to complete all the tasks within the time frame guaranteed mandated by his ever-so-loving older sibling.
As ludicrously superficial as it is, Alex is clearly not winning any points in the outer-scope relationships segment based on lady feedback. Nonetheless, that is the system.
Of course, the basic premise of the movie is centered around the list, thus bringing us to Alex’s to-do list. Like any other person in a race, his motivation comes from the friction caused by his self-interested fellow Jewish-Italian doctor (Gilles Marini).
I was not particularly keen on Alex checking off his list of improvements, but Alex & The List is saved by two committed lead performances that transform it into a surprisingly low-key comedic watch. Fugit is engaging and charismatic, helping sell the overarching flimsy premise, thanks to Morrison’s motivating performance.
This film is supported by a wonderful cast which helps it excel. Bob Gunton and JoBeth Williams portrayed Katherine’s parents, while Eddie Kaye Thomas took the role of Alex’s friend, Dave. Some of the strongest performances came from Michael Nouri as the Rabbi, who in a different lesser film would act as a caricature but becomes the spiritual center here. Even Lesley Anne-Down and Victoria Tennant appear in short cameo roles.
As usual, my favorites came from Karen Gillan (Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy) who stole the show as Alex’s best friend, Lily, and Mad Men’s Aaron Staton as her husband Michael. They were bereft of the best friend stereotype and instead provided nuanced and likable characterizations, easily making my favorite characters in the film.
Portrayed as a comedy, Alex & The List is rarely more than mildly amusing and instead, is surprisingly contemplative while keeping a high-view, holistically integrated tone. This is a little surprising since a lot of thought goes unconsidered. Use of harsher language wouldn’t help in giving it credit, thus making it lose potentially wonderful implications.
This ‘gem’ was directed by Harris Goldberg who put the same love and effort into his underappreciated Matthew Perry 2007 comedy Numb. It does not provide big belly laughs nor ‘twists of fate, but, it certainly does have a fine appreciation towards its characters and the decisions that pave the way in their arcs. Alex & The List, released this year deserves the acclaim instead of being put on the back burner after three long years.
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