Gigantic

I'm itching to make a joke about how the title of indie comedy Gigantic is actually short for Gigantic Waste of Time or Gigantic Pile of.... I also debated saying that the film is as weak as the chin of its star, Paul Dano, but that seems rather meanspirited. I mean, a man can't help his facial structure, but he could certainly have helped starring in this absolute mess of a film.

Dano's resume includes Oscar-winning favorites like Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood, but there's none of that talent on display here. As mattress salesman Brian, the actor sleepwalks through the film's agonizing script, showing little life or character. Zooey Deschanel plays...Zooey Deschanel, or some approximation thereof, who goes by the name "Happy" and fits the manic pixie dream girl mold perfectly. John Goodman is the only source of joy here, playing Happy's pushy, overbearing millionaire of a father.

Gigantic begins with Brian being randomly attacked by a homeless man (comedian Zach Galifianakis, playing what appears to be a noncomedic role). The script-driven chaos continues with the introduction of Brian's job and his casually racist boss (THE WIRE's Clark Peters), as well as his childhood-born desire to adopt a Chinese baby. He's on the cusp of realizing his dream when he meets the flitting, flaky Happy, while her father grumbles through their awkward courtship.

Directed by Matt Aselton, Gigantic suffers from a common flaw of films from first-time filmmakers. Elements seem randomly crammed in, as though Aselton thought that this was his one shot to get in every idea he ever had. Homeless guy stalking his prey from New York to Vermont? Check. Scene with numerous men getting "happy endings" at a massage parlor? Check. Skinny-dipping at night? Check. Drinking Crayola-colored cocktails from a beaker in a lab filled with rats? Check. This film has numerous problems, but it's mostly a film with an identity crisis. Aselton tried to make at least three different movies in one--a surreal indie, a romantic comedy, and a coming-of-age drama, by my count--but, despite its name, Gigantic is a case where less would've certainly been more.