2012 SFF Review: Liberal Arts (Josh Radnor, 2012)

Liberal Arts, the charming crowd-pleasing indie comedy/drama from writer-director-star Josh Radnor (star of How I Met Your Mother and director of Happythankyoumoreplease), really struck a chord with me personally. Radnor has tailored this film to quite a specific audience - though it is pleasant enough to be enjoyed by anyone - and he knows exactly how to win over those who recognise a part of themselves in his characters. As a result of my strong relation to this film; the love and admiration for the art form (whether it is literature like Radnor's character, or film), my somewhat snobbish reaction to the differentiation between high and lowbrow, an arts degree and an always-present feeling of uncertainty about my future, this will be quite a personal review. Liberal Arts screened at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and currently has an Australian release scheduled for December 13, through Icon Distribution.

Radnor stars as Jesse Fisher, a 35-year-old college admissions advisor, who is disillusioned and looking for change having just broken up with his girlfriend. He gets the chance to escape the city life when Peter Hoburg (Richard Jenkins), a favourite former professor and friend, contacts him and invites him to attend his retirement dinner. Arriving back at his alma mater, Ohio's Kenyon College, he is soon introduced to 19-year-old Elizabeth or 'Zibby' (Elizabeth Olsen), a smart, beautiful and maturely mannered young woman studying improv. theatre.

His intellectual attraction to the alluring Zibby, as well as encounters with some colourful characters around campus - including his former English professor (Alison Janney) - develops a nostalgic attraction in Jesse who embraces the location and reminisces on his glory days. When he takes his leave, a clearly-interested Zibby requests he send her hand-written letters, and their ongoing correspondence prompts Jesse to return. A romance begins to blossom, but despite their substantial age-difference posing a problem, Jesse and Zibby ultimately learn some valuable life lessons.

Liberal Arts is a very pleasant film, but there are a couple of particularly brilliant moments; Jesse, via a narrated letter, shares his reactions to a mixed tape of classical music made for him by Zibby, with an accompanying montage depicting how the music made him feel, and an argument between Jesse and Zibby about the merits of reading Stephenie Meyer's New Moon. Anyone who loves music will relate to Jesse's feelings here.

The latter is particularly interesting because the arguments from both are acceptable, with Zibby admitting to finding New Moon enjoyable despite her awareness it is trashy, while Jesse openly declares it to be one of the worst novels he has ever read and dismisses all cultural significance. Jesse's snobbishness is certainly an unattractive feature to Zibby, especially when he claims that Chaucer is cultured reading, despite the fact it isn't supposed to be liked and enjoyed. Zibby wonders why someone would read something that isn't supposed to be enjoyed but purely read and praised by people convinced it creates an illusion of culturally acceptable taste. It is very interesting, and a philosophy that I will forever be considering.

The friendship between the pair is convincing, and every decision made by the characters is understandable, which is a tribute to Radnor's writing. There are an abundance of laughs, and purely through Olsen's stellar work, and one's natural liking of Jesse, the dramatic moments hit the mark too. The film also raises some interesting insight into the heart of the intellectual, with both Jenkins and Janney's characters revealing some dark secrets, having been idolised by Jesse since they taught him. The philosophy of saying 'yes' to everything, Zibby's mantra for improv, also proves to be a fortuitous one for Jesse, and a commendable message to weave through the narrative.

There is just something about Radnor that I feel like I relate too. I like the guy purely through the friendly, easy-going, kind-hearted, sad and easily sympathetic characters he portrays. My friends used to call me Ted, because they thought Radnor's character in How I Met Your Mother and I were the exact same person. In Liberal Arts, I felt like I was watching myself in ten years time, but rather than have my nose in a book, I imagine I will still be somewhat film-obsessed.

Another of the film's charms are the supporting cameos, which are hilarious. Richard Jenkins is always wonderful, Alison Janney is fantastic as Jesse's icy former professor and Zac Effron pops up for a couple of scene-stealing moments. The star of this film, however, is Elizabeth Olsen, which admittedly was one of the main draw-cards for me. Following her outstanding debut performance in Martha Marcy May Marlene, Ms. Olsen has also appeared in Silent House and is set to star in Rodrigo Cortes (Buried) new film, Red Lights. 

The only issue I have with the film is that there is an air of self-indulgence here. Radnor, as much as I like him, flirts at times with somewhat self-appreciation. He returns to his former college, starts to relive the happiest period of his life, and an intellectual acquaintance-turned romance blossoms with a beautiful and highly intelligent younger student. It is a dream I imagine is shared by many disillusioned middle-aged white intellectuals and Radnor's clever and topical story features himself front-and-centre. Personally, this worked for me, but I understand many struggling to accept this decision. Also, despite the drama having emotional weight, it predictably ends in way hoping to leave an audience with a big smile on their face. With all of the heavy material I have been processing over the course of the festival, it was exactly what I needed. I look forward to seeing what Radnor comes up with next because, for me, Liberal Arts was fantastic.

My Rating: ★★★★