Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Ceticultsot Beautiful, moving film.

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

jarrodmcdonald-1 I just finished watching C.O.G. I am giving it an 8 on the IMDb. Pluses: the editing is perfect-- it knows when to cut to the next scene and when to slow down and let us linger a bit on the characters; and I'd say the performances are a plus-- even the child actors stay in character and seem genuine. Minus: the scriptwriter keeps reminding us how smart the main character is to set him apart from the others, meaning the others are stereotyped as hicks.Plus or minus: There's no sex in it. A near rape scene but nothing is shown and it's over quickly.The relationships he has with the people he meets are very interesting. Quirky. Often sincere. Sometimes filled with anger. There's definitely a touch of Steinbeck felt throughout the narrative. The Grapes of Wrath (the novel) is mentioned as the reason he went out west; and the first third of the movie which takes place on an apple farm is a bit like Of Mice and Men, with the men in the bunkhouse. The movie has no real ending; it's brilliant in that regard; since he's left to journey on to the next place with the next set of situations. There should be a sequel, with more stories from the original source material. Jonathan Groff, the guy who plays David/Samuel the lead character is quite good.The scene in the church where he becomes a Christian is beautifully and poignantly played. I like how the film shows the contradictions in Christianity and the contradictions in the gay subculture. On that level it's remarkably authentic and bold.

SnoopyStyle David (Jonathan Groff) takes a break from his ivy league world for an apple picking job. He's a spoiled, self-assured bookworm. His Mexican co-workers don't understand him. His boss Hobbs (Dean Stockwell) barely tolerates his lack of work ethics. Jon (Denis O'Hare) is handing out religious flyers titled COG. His friend Jennifer is suppose to join him but she leaves the job for a new boyfriend. Curly (Corey Stoll) drives the forklift at the apple plant. After an awkward night with Curly, he abandons his job, somebody steals his money, and he only has Jon to help. He stays with Martha (Casey Wilson) and her family. His atheism, his lack of a love life, his sexuality, and his attitude are all challenged.I think the story is meant to be quirky comical. However that is not the prevailing sense from director Kyle Patrick Alvarez. Groff's character is too much of an annoying know-it-all. After all, that is the character as written but it would be more effective if he does what he does because of clueless kindness. The one great character is played by Corey Stoll. He does a fun disturbing performance. It's too bad that he's only a supporting character, but he's a good one. This never got funny. Sometimes it got disturbing. It may have even gotten profound although that could argued either way. The ending is somewhat truncated which is problematic for some people. I'm not one of them. Movies don't have to be about resolving something. I just didn't get involved in David's journey.

zif ofoz After seeing this flick I was lost to it's message, but knowing there is a message to be had. I have never read the essay from which the story is taken ... so I'm seeing this movie through unveiled eyes.What I see is a young man whose background is built upon an upper class controlled academic life who has idealistically thrown himself into a world of lower class marginally educated street wise laborers, to fulfill a dream he and a girlfriend(?) have cooked up to help him escape a family conflict.David is an innocent, yet sure the world is very like his book knowledge. Almost from the start he discovers otherwise. He is described as cocky and arrogant - not so. He is self assured and unafraid to speak his mind as we see on the bus and then with the girl that has deceived him by backing out of 'their plan'. David sticks with it and encounters a world unlike any he has experienced in his polite society upbringing. Certainly being polite and charming will win friends! He finds himself a loner, no friends, not even able to communicate with the Hispanic laborers he must work with. When he does find people to be friends or rather friendly with, he discovers they only want to use him (packing house man) or are seriously mentally unstable (the wildly fundamental Christian).Director Alvarez has chosen to leave the plight of David open with the closing of this movie .... you can fill in the blanks! Notice the expression on David's face as he passes the camera walking alone on that country road .... he's made a decision!This is a very good movie!

The_late_Buddy_Ryan A rueful, seriocomic D. Sedaris memoir minus D. Sedaris—his unique authorial voice and his unmatched ability to see his goofus younger self as others must have seen him—doesn't sound like it would have much going for it, but "C.O.G." is actually a pretty good film. David, an East Coast grad student estranged from his family and otherwise at loose ends, has been persuaded by a flighty friend that this would be an excellent time for him "to get his hands dirty" picking apples in Oregon; when a tough-looking apple packer (Dale Dickey) says she'd like to "knock that f—r union rep from here to Tokyo," David asks brightly, "Have any of you actually ever been to Japan? It's a beautiful place." Clearly David's going to have some problems adjusting to life in the Hood River fruit-growing region. Writer-director Kyle Patrick Alvarez was well advised to lose the traditional coming-of-age-film voice-over; DS's unpredictable and thoroughly engaging storyline works perfectly well on its own, and the unSedarislike Jonathan Groff does just fine as David. Good work by all concerned, in fact, especially Corey Stoll and Denis O'Hare as strangers with candy. The Steve Reich percussion pieces are a little distracting at times, but mostly used to good effect.