The best thing about this movie are the cartoons that Demetri Martin drew, and that are prominently featured in this. That sounds like a backhanded compliment doesn't it? Alright, how about the fact that I also liked the visual edits done in the movie, like the split screens, the clever use of closed captioning for one particular scene, and the inclusion of those cartoons. Okay, how about the fact the premise can be pretty insightful, which the cartoons also do a good job reflecting on. Fine, the movie is not all about those cartoons, and it has more to offer... although I really did like those cartoons.
I suppose my biggest issue with this movie is that it's a little bit of a mess tonally. There are comedic scenes of genuine brilliance, and then there are scenes that just fall completely flat. It also has a dry sense of humor that may not necessarily be that funny for some people, and at best the funny bits are simply tongue in cheek. The comedy mostly consists of scenes of awkwardness or embarrassments, and those can be entertaining enough or full on face-palm worthy. There are also whole bits about Los Angeles and it's residents that was way too heavy on the satire to the point of obnoxiousness. Now that I think about it, I hope it was in fact satire, because if not then Demetri Martin has a very cynical perspective on California.
Not to completely disparage the movie, but I have to say that I really did appreciate the emotional arc of the characters. Demetri Martin, Kevin Kline, and Gillian Jacobs, were all very good in this movie. I also liked the general theme about grief and thought it felt appropriately personal and moving, creating some genuinely powerful scenes. While not the best movie around by any means, "Dean" does have it's merits. Plus there are those cartoons.
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