Jason Bailey: Put Your Weight On It

  AUSTIN, TX: Well, I'm back at SXSW, which I've attended every year (well, every year they've had it here) since 2012 and have said, more than once, is my favorite film festival. And I'll say candidly that it's not necessarily for the quality of the films (which are frequently very good) but for the quality of the food and drink and vibe in Austin (which is always  very good).  I reviewed seven world premieres for The Playlist this year: ‘Late Bloomers’ Review: Karen Gillan Is Hilarious And Heartbreaking In A Predictable But Enjoyable Dramedy [SXSW] ‘Parachute’ Review: Brittany Snow Makes a Fine Directorial Debut With A Candid & Nervous Romantic Drama [SXSW] ‘Self Reliance’ Review: Jake Johnson’s Directorial Debut Is A Suitable Vehicle For His Shaggy Comic Energy [SXSW] ‘Bottoms’ Review: Emma Seligman’s Sophomore Feature Is No ‘Shiva Baby,’ But Still Delightfully Subversive [SXSW] ‘Hypnotic’ Review: Robert Rodriguez & Ben Affleck Team For An ‘Inception’-Ish

  Originally published on Flavorwire, 7/28/17 “My God, sometimes I wish we really  were  irresponsible,” Linda tells David, and because they’re who they are, born when they were, he takes it as an insult. “Calling me responsible is like calling me old or stodgy!” he insists, and besides, he’s got it all figured out: when he gets the big promotion, with elevated title and the huge salary bump and the big new house it will let them buy,  then  he’ll be free. Being in a position of responsibility, you see, will allow him to be  irresponsible . That’s the kind of logical and linguistic curlicue that Albert Brooks does best, and he never did it better than in his 1985 comedy  Lost in America , which makes its Blu-ray debut this week via the Criterion Collection. It’s an endlessly funny and often uncomfortable piece of work, featuring some of the sharpest, deftest writing Brooks and frequent collaborator Monica Johnson ever crafted. But it’s particularly noteworthy for the way in which it sh