Meet Bill (2007)

Wonderful character development!

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

For a tired night where I just wanted to be entertained, this movie was light-hearted and fun and had some good scenes. I actually agree with the other reviews saying that it didn't meld well--the way things played out was inconsistent to who Bill seemed to be. But I wasn't looking for melding, just for something to keep me interested and laughing and this did that. There was also a touch of sincerity to the whole of it that appealed to me.But. Oh the but. I was truly bothered by the story line of the role reversal between Bill and the kid.(Logan Lerman, who was exceptional in his role and really stole the show). I love kids, love encouraging them. love seeing them expand their minds and enjoy the zany aspect they can bring to life. But Lerman's character was so smooth, polished, jaded, slick. And Bill was mentoring him to a life of chronic disappointment when he grows up and his smart-alecky ways start to smack him in the face. Spoiled rich kid does not even BEGIN to describe him. He was living in a plastic world and that was adulated throughout the movie, which I think is just wrong. Of course, the movie wouldn't work without it, so in that sense I'd give it a 0 star.Lerman not only never has to face the consequences of his actions (opening scene Bill covers for him selling drugs in high school--he lies for a kid he doesn't even know.) but he is the cocky kingpin throughout the movie. I felt my stomach turn a couple of times when Lerman is sagely giving advice to BIll about how he should run his life (which is pretty much the basis for the movie). If you look at who Lerman's character is--a young, self-entered, quite narcissistic ne'er–do–well--for him to give advice is about as valuable as a McDonald's soda cup discarded on the side of the road. To me, there is just something terribly wrong in the staging of that. Not that Lerman gave the advice, that fits for a typically know-it-all teenager. There is no fault to the character he is, just that this one-dimensional, inexperienced character who gets by on money, looks and grins was given such high esteem for being wise in the movie. And given this while at the same time Lerman is constantly having to be covered for his indiscretions by the man he is giving advice to. There is a disconnect in that and it could be an undercurrent reason why many found this movie flat. A cocky kid who ends up mentoring the mentor doesn't sit well in the psyche. It comes across as false. It actually could have worked well if Bill was Lerman's own age.Then there is the total disregard for any standards--Bill lies for Lerman repeatedly, joins in his sexual soiree (again, it's the age factor that leads to the discomfort), and joins him in getting high: A sentimental, golden scene where Bill has completely aided the delinquency of a minor and drove him across town while completely stoned. You can get arrested in both Washington and Colorado for both of those--pot friendly as they now are.What partially redeems the plot (the film is redeemed by good acting) is that Lerman's character, narcissistic as it is, really does show generosity (with more than money, which has no value to him) and caring for Bill. And Lerman is such a superb actor that there is still a wisp of feeling that he looks up to Bill and seeks him to "please love me like the dad I apparently don't have." But then again. I was never completely won over that Lerman's actions weren't simply b/c he is like a mob-leader in self training and he just wanted to control Bill for his own personal pleasure (like buying the extra fire works). By the end there did seem to be genuine affection, but I"m not sure any of Lerman's actions were truly altruistic.Again, typical for a teen, so the character is true to form, but that still leaves the "let me be the leader, follow me" factor out of whack.

Bernie Goldmann & Melisa Wallick's 'Meet Bill' is a underrated classic... such great films deserve a watch for it's beauty! Even as writers, Goldmann & Wallick are in top form.'Meet Bill' is a fascinating, thrilling & wonderful journey of a complicated man, who's confused. It's a journey, that you take home. It's a journey, you learn from. 'Meet Bll' deserves all the appreciation, because it's an excellent film.Coming to the acting, Ajdectives fail to describe Aaron Eckhart as Bill. His work in exemplary! Is that enough, well if I do start, I might go on and on and on. Jessica Alba is fantastic. Elizabeth Banks looks gorgeous as freaking ever! Her performance, as expected is exceptional. Logan Lerman, the kid, stands out. Timothy Olyphant irritates. Marisa Coughlan leaves a mark.'Meet Bill' is a must watch...don't miss this one for the world! Two Thumbs Up!

If you like Aaron Eckhart then you'll like this film. It's a departure from anything he's done in the past. Elizabeth Banks plays his wife, a beautiful, self obsessed, spoiled, rich bitch with no redeeming qualities except her looks and body. (It's VERY much the same role as she played in "The Baxter". She's really got this character type down and is carving a niche for herself in indie films.)As I watched this movie, I thought that it reminded me of those indie films that I loved from the late 90's and early 2000's and how they just don't make them like this anymore. I didn't laugh all the way through this movie, but there were places where I chuckled (considerably) and I did have a smirk on my face for a good bit of the movie. (Think "The Ex" but not as funny.)It a great Friday night, too tired to think, order a pizza and veg movie. And if you like indie films from a decade ago, then you'll be glad you rented this one.

Bill is in the midst of a full-blown midlife crisis. Not only is he stuck in a job he hates (a made-up position at his father-in-law's bank), but his wife is cheating on him with a local news reporter. Meanwhile, his potbelly seems to be expanding at an increasingly alarming rate, a condition brought on by the massive quantities of donuts and candy bars he consumes daily out of nervousness and force of habit. Bill can't seem to step out of the shadows of either his wife's dad or the brother whom everyone seems to think is brighter, more financially successful and more all-around "together" than Bill is. In fact, the one hope Bill has of turning his life around may well rest with an Alex Keating-type prep school student he's agreed to mentor as part of a program for entrepreneurial teens.Written and directed by Bernie Goldman and Melisa Walick, "Meet Bill" ranges from the hilarious to the mildly amusing - with just enough dull patches thrown in to keep us from raving too much over its virtues or letting it too much into our hearts. The screenplay is frequently sharp in its comic portrayal of middle-aged angst, but it also feels vaguely rudderless, undernourished and underdeveloped for much of the time.The real joy of the film lies in Aaron Eckhart's star turn as a man whose career and personal relationships clearly aren't what he'd hoped they'd be at this particular point in his life. He's nicely supported by Elizabeth Banks as his philandering wife; Logan Lerman as his preppie protégé; Jessica Alba as a lingerie salesgirl; Reed Diamond as his overly competitive gay brother-in-law; and SNL stars Kristen Wiig and Jason Sudeikis as donut-shop franchise owners who hope to go into business with Bill.And speaking of the entrepreneurial spirit, a veritable goldmine awaits anyone savvy enough to market that amazing belly-busting weight-loss program Bill uses to great effect towards the end of the film.