Lemon

My third and final rental from the library was Lemon, and truthfully a lemon this is not. I'm probably the only person on the entire planet that is going to make this comparison, but the entire time I was slamming down some notes to put this post together, I felt like I was watching a very dark, adult version of Napoleon Dynamite. Yeah. Even if you disagree with me there are plenty of similarities-except there is no Summer Wheatly or Pedro to fill in any comedic voids or relationship awkwardness. Lemon is filled to the brim with the latter, and there are all sorts of weird selfish acts and heated mental breakdowns from our protagonist Isaac including him flinging a strawberry cake that Michael Cera's character brings to his house for a nice dinner and conversation. Right in his face. Alex gets very upset and leaves a voice message on his answering machine blurting out things about "calling the cops" and "you need help" as well as calling Isaac a motherfucker-which I actually found to be pretty funny. The actual act of having the cake thrown in his face was pretty great as well. I found this cult indie flick to be on the artsy side while somehow still dipping it's toes into some pretty heavy dark comedic waters as you get to witness Isaac slowly sour into a socially inept, well... lemon. 

Everything is vintage.

This is totally me after work. Except for the self urination.

Michael Cera is the new Gene Wilder. We need a new Gene Wilder.

Jesus, 15 burritos? Pregnant women can eat.

Isaac is trying to tell you that it's not about you-it's about the audience. Make them feel it.

Such a complicated relationship. I am intrigued.

I think Isaac is about to break.

Gotta get your break somehow. Might as well be a commercial for Dignity Diapers.

Jealousy really makes things darker, doesn't it.

Holy shit man-kill the woman's spirit why don't you.

All families are dysfunctional, but this is pretty dark and over the top.

Pretty much right around the scene where Isaac loses it and throws that cake at Alex is when he just starts unraveling. You can tell he is completely lost and doesn't know what he is doing anymore, and even though that type of character is supposed to have some sympathy connected to them, it's almost impossible with Isaac. He basically tells his girlfriend of ten years that she is worthless and he fell in love with her because he felt sorry for himself instead of her (which is absolutely brutal on all accounts) thinking he could never find anyone besides her. He also still feels like a failure because his sister is pregnant with another child and his brother also has kids and his own business while he pretty much has nothing. Lemon is a very interesting and personal spiral that from what I got out of it was this-be happy with what you have. The grass isn't always greener on the other side. Besides, you don't want to be socially sour do you? No. You want to be awkwardly sweet.