Opening this weekend, in limited release, is Cyrus.  Written and directed by Jay Duplass & Mark Duplass (The Puffy Chair, Baghead), the movie stars John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Catherine Keener and Marisa Tomei.  While the Duplass brothers have made a number of indie films, this is their first studio movie.  While you might think getting financing from Fox Searchlight might somehow change who they are and what kinds of movies they make, they brought all their indie tricks along for the ride.  The way they did that was to film the movie in order, and they also did a ton of improv on set.  In fact, while they (of course) got takes that stuck to the script, they did take after take of improv to try and make everything seem real.  What they ended up with was a original story that blends humor & heartbreak.  Definitely recommended.

Anyway, if you'd like to check out some of Cyrus now, we've been given 5 clips from the film.  I've also provided the full synopsis after the jump.  Again, Cyrus opens this weekend in limited release.  It expands into more areas in July.

Here's the synopsis:

With John’s social life at a standstill and his ex-wife about to get remarried, a down on his luck divorcee finally meets the woman of his dreams, only to discover she has another man in her life – her son. Written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass, the iconoclastic filmmaking team behind Sundance Film Festival favorite THE PUFFY CHAIR, CYRUS takes an insightful, funny and sometimes heartbreaking look at love and family in contemporary Los Angeles.  Still single seven years after the breakup of his marriage, John (John C. Reilly) has all but given up on romance. But at the urging of his ex-wife and best friend Jamie (Catherine Keener), John grudgingly agrees to join her and her fiancé Tim (Matt Walsh) at a party. To his and everyone else’s surprise, he actually manages to meet someone: the gorgeous and spirited Molly (Marisa Tomei).

Their chemistry is immediate. The relationship takes off quickly but Molly is oddly reluctant to take the relationship beyond John’s house. Perplexed, he follows her home & discovers the other man in Molly’s life: her son, Cyrus (Jonah Hill). A 21-year-old new age musician, Cyrus is his mom’s best friend & shares an unconventional relationship with her.  Cyrus will go to any lengths to protect Molly & is definitely not ready to share her with anyone, especially John. Before long, the two are locked in a battle of wits for the woman they both love—& it appears only one man can be left standing when it’s over.

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