BlazeLime Strong and Moving!

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Sammy-Jo Cervantes There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Prismark10 7 Chinese Brothers is a song by REM. It is also an ultra low budget independent film directed by Bob Byington. Jason Schwarztman plays Larry, a lazy, lying slacker always playing stupid pranks and who drinks too much from a Styrofoam cup to make out he is not an alcoholic.At the beginning of the film we seem him get fired from job for stealing liquor from the bar. His only friend is a nurse who supplies him with stolen pills and the nurse looks after Larry's grandmother at the nursing home. His time with his grandmother is the only time he has a grown up conversation. Apart from his grandmother his dog is the only other thing he cares about.There is little plot to this movie. Larry gets a job at a garage valeting cars. His co-workers tell him to steal loose change. He takes a shine to his female boss, he gets fired because his boss finds out that he was fired from his previous job for stealing. In fact the same guy owned both the places he gets fired from. His grandmother dies, he plays stupid pranks to antagonise people like keying cars or throwing his hat on passing cars.Somewhere along the line Larry grows up a little. Schwarztman plays Larry with a deadpan, downbeat comic charm. He is the only thing that keeps the film going. There is very little that happens in this offbeat film that feels long even though it is only 75 minutes long.

Melissa_Antoinette_Garza I had heard about this movie a couple months ago and kept it on my radar ever since. 7 Chinese Brothers stars Jason Schwartzman, who I've always been a big fan of. He has an undeniable likability that he has carried with him ever since Rushmore (1998) and it never shines so brighter as it does in this film.The film opens with Larry (Schwartzman) getting fired for taking $5.00 of a $10.00 tip from his job as a bartender. He goes out the way anyone who has left a job under bad circumstances wants to go out. He loudly tells everyone he was fired and takes a bottle of tequila.He goes home to his adorable dog Arrow which is arguably the most significant relationship in his life. Not that he doesn't have people in his life. His only surviving relative is his grandmother (Olympia Dukakis) who he certainly cares about but like most family dynamics the unconditional love is far more complicated than with Arrow. He asks his grandma for money and though she has it, she refuses; and with good reason. She asks him how he would feel if someone consistently showed up with they needed something. Her hope is that he stand on his own two feet, learn Spanish, and find someone to be with.His closest friend is Major (Tunde Adebimpe) who works at his grandmother's senior facility. He's nice, sincerely cares about Larry and sells him prescription drugs at a low fee. Beyond the scripts, he takes, Larry also drinks way too much. Rest easy, we're not going down the depressing spiral that is Leaving Las Vegas (1995). This isn't a movie about an addict or addiction. It's a movie about a guy who is nice and funny but just doesn't know what he wants or where to go to get it.He manages to get a job at a Quick Lube where he instantly develops an attraction to his boss Lupe (Eleanore Pienta). Upon meeting her, Major develops feelings for her as well. The two men never really fight and though Larry definitely feels inadequate in many ways compared to his friend, they remain very close.Once again, this movie takes a very high-road. In so many lesser films there's an all out war between best friends who fight to the death for the person they both desire. Aside from a moment of small sabotage where Larry lies about Major having a prosthetic leg, he doesn't try to keep the two apart. Even when Larry lies to Lupe it fits with the character completely and when confronted about the lie, there's is a big blowout or fight. There's just an honest explanation as to why he felt the need to tell her that.Lupe plays a pivotal role that is refreshingly unique. She isn't treated like some prize to win nor do they follow the trope of having her accuse the men of sexism while playing a woman all-to- willing to be fought over. This movie is smarter than that and far more realistic. More often than not, when two friends who are both generally good people have affection for the same individual life just goes on. There's a discussion about it, but overall everyone tries to be careful and wary of the other's feelings which is what good people do. They're honest as much as they can be. They certainly fall victim to pride or jealousy once in awhile, but overall rationale takes over and things work out in whatever way they do. Most human beings accept that and it's great to see a movie which acknowledges that aspect of behavior.Lupe doesn't play the victim at all. She doesn't pit the men against one another. She like everyone else is trying to figure their life out. She's a mother who works with her ex-husband. She's strong, self-sufficient and enjoys her job. She also isn't instantly charmed with Larry's quirky jokes. Some make her laugh and some make her roll her eyes which again is so real. She isn't a doe-eyed gal put there for eye-candy as merely a romantic interest. She has a real solid role in the film being both a good friend who tries to watch out for her employees and a good person overall.Major life events trigger something in Larry that changes his perspective and reignites an ambition within him. It's not like there's a 180 on the character, but more-so just a comfortability in his own skin. Schwartzman portrays it brilliantly ensuring every moment comes across as genuine and real.The entire cast is fantastic and adds so much to the production. Arrow is just an adorable French Bulldog that I want to hug and take home with me, but being that it is really Jason Schwartzman's dog, I don't think he's up for adoption.Another key component of the film is the the music. From the start when Larry gets fired and all the way up until the last song, the music helps set the tone and the mood. They are all perfectly well selected and great tunes by great artists.I would certainly suggest purchasing this one immediately. It's a smart movie for smart people and is all heart. Don't waste time or money renting, as with most of Scwartzman's work this is definitely one to own.

tinybirds Jason Schwartzman is one of those actors whose films you generally either love or maybe kind of hate. 7 Chinese Brothers (2015) is a film that is definitely no exception, but for those of us who are fans, it hits the mark head on. The film is a character study of Larry, a 30- something slacker and all around aimless weirdo ambling through his days trying to keep himself amused. The brainchild of director Bob Byington, this strange character loses his job at a restaurant after being caught stealing booze from the bar into his big gulp, only to find himself at war with the restaurant manager in an absurd ongoing battle that amusingly recurs throughout the film. Larry spends the bulk of his time discussing life with his lethargic boston terrier Arrow, Schwartzman's real-life dog and real-deal star of the show. Arrow is hilariously nonplussed and adorably immortalized in this film - his sedate screen presence as well as the evident bond between him and his owner contributes immeasurably to the tone of the film and the character, as well as its overall charm. This film is low on actual plot lines, but there are a number of other characters with whom Larry interacts during his day to day. His best friend Major, played by TV On The Radio frontman Babatunde Adebimpe, helps to ground the antics of our main character, but his lucky life also serves to make stark the unlucky fortune of the far more everyday and unremarkable Larry. Olympia Dukakis is flawless as Larry's grandmother and voice of reason, with whom his self-concerned attitude makes itself evident early in the film. So while little of note actually happens throughout the film, we have ample opportunity to explore the recesses of this odd character's mind as well as watch his gradual arch towards some personal growth. The film's camera-work is primarily that shaky, hand-held feel that's currently relentlessly popular in this style of film. Byington really makes viewers feel as though they're following Larry around and watching him mess up, be erratic, and embarrass himself real-time. The camera is right in Schwartzman's face through the majority of the film so his acting had to be spot on to carry this film, and he succeeds in being both comically on-point and pointedly Larry at all times. The character never slips once while the audience eats up all of his bizarre habits, like imitating a fat kid getting out of a pool on every possible countertop, as only Schwartzman delivers this signature kind of absurdity with his particular sort of grace. 7 Chinese Brothers is strange, it's meandering, and it's even a little bit boring at times. It is possible that critics of Schwartzman could suggest that this sort of character exploration is just another means to show off and glorify that thing that he does, that quirky indie, alternative film thing for which Jason Schwartzman is sort of the posterboy. While we sat in the theater and the film came to a close, my partner even turned to me and just said "I don't get it, what is this movie about?" And that's the thing, it's not really about anything in particular. There's no genius, deep message in this storyline; while there's an element of wanting to connect and find a sort of joie de vivre here, these themes are dominated by just the sheer wandering into the character that dominates the screen time. Yet its richness can be found in the experience of watching an artist create a character that audiences simply want to watch. These are the sorts of ideas from which cult films spring, where there's just something that hooks you and reels you in about the world created by those involved in its production. This is what Jason Schwartzman is really good at and here Bob Byington has successfully crafted a memorable space that allowed him to do his thing delightfully. 7 Chinese Brothers is just right for those that found themselves psyched just on seeing its advertisement, and you know who you are. If you aren't one of those people, maybe you could just go to see Arrow in all his drowsy glory.

levifilm Absolutely charming and hilarious. Jason Schwartzman is pitch perfect as Larry, a slacker who gets fired from his job in a restaurant at the beginning of the film, sipping through a straw from his Big Gulp. Schwartzman isn't the only tour de force in the film, his dog Arrow makes the perfect comedic counterpart, exasperated and non-plussed at many of Larry's diatribes and philosophies. Bob Byington deserves a lot of credit as well, his previous film Somebody Up There Likes Me is equally hilarious, but 7 Chinese Brothers is less surreal and more rooted in character and pathos. 7CB has lots of mainstream appeal and will undoubtedly be listed in with other iconic Schartzman roles. 7CB is always surprising, always pushing at the edges of conventional narratives. The film works so well because it is coming from a very unique voice of storytelling and sense of humor. It's exciting to see a film come out like this and almost instantly feel like a comedy classic. Do yourself a favor and get a big gulp of 7 Chinese Brothers.