GIGANTIC review by Gary Dean Murray

Gigantic is a little film about the little moments in life. Paul Dano stars as Brian, an unhappy mattress salesman and 'surprise child' who encounters an business man (John Goodman) and his daughter Happy (Zooey Deschanel).

Paul first meets Dad when the man comes into the store to buy a mattress. That night, the daughter comes in to inspect the purchase and falls asleep on the bed. The next day, Brian has to deliver the bed and is talked into taking Dad to a back doctor. While waiting, the young couple becomes intimate. Now, neither knows exactly what to do next.

We also discover that Paul, who one gets the feeling was a bit unloved as a child, is trying to adopt a Chinese baby. He wants to bring some happiness to the life of a young one as a substitute to his own existence. Where his much older brothers were successful at his age, all Paul wants to do is concentrate his efforts on a little tyke. His own father (Ed Asner) tends to understand this dilemma more than most.

The rest of Gigantic is how Happy and Paul try to figure out love in an age where it seems in short supply.

The film has a feeling of randomness, as if events of life just happen without reason or order. In one scene, Brian is attacked and beaten by a homeless guy for no reason what so ever. This even does come back but it doesn't seem to have a reason to do it, it just does, just the same way real life has that element.

Director and co-writer Matt Aselton gives the film a Sundance feel, that offbeat strange beat that drives the action. As a writer, he constructs some interesting characters but gives them very little to do. As a director, he shows some style in storytelling, even when the story is slight.

I have always thought that Zooey Deschanel is the most underrated actress of her generation. Again in Gigantic, she gives a solid performance in 'the girlfriend' role but does so with a unconventional state. She is breathtakingly pretty and still approachable in a role that could have been trite. It takes a true star to turn a small role into a winning performance.

Paul Dano, best known for There Will Be Blood shows some grace in a very demanding role. He finds the soft spot of Brian and never gives an inch while the world is changing around him. Being steadfast to his goal, one has to admire his tenacity.

John Goodman's best scene is where he talks of removing a brain cancer by meditation. His claim in doing so and the visual is disturbingly funny. The film could have used more of him. The same could be said of Ed Asner, a great actor who doesn't get to do much here. He is such a powerhouse presence and one has to wonder why he wasn't given more in Gigantic.

Gigantic is a charming and quirky relationship comedy. While not the independent masterpiece one would hope for, it does deliver for the most part.

To go back to BIGFANBOY.com click here - www.bigfanboy.com