Title: Why Stop Now
Directed by: Phil Dorling, Ron Nyswaner
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Melissa Leo and Tracy Morgan
Running time: 88 minutes, Rated R, Available on Blu-ray
Special Features: Tracy Morgan Interview, Featurette, Trailer
Eli is a piano prodigy who must drop his mom off at rehab before his big audition to win a scholarship to a famous music conservatory, unfortunately mom has to test positive in order to be granted admission. He begrudgingly reaches out to his mom’s former drug dealer Sprinkles, however he’s out of product. Since Eli speaks Spanish, he volunteers to act as translator to the supplier. Their sole mission is to score some cocaine, get mom loaded and into rehab in time for Eli’s big moment.
This is not a typical comedy. It has the dark subtext of a child who was forced to grow up before his time in order to care for his selfish mother. Sprinkles is bitter about his past as a track star and what he could’ve been, but accepts his life as a drug dealer and tries to educate Eli that he is the master of his own destiny and his mother shouldn’t be his excuse for failure.
The little sister character kind of pissed me off. Nothing against the actress Emma Rayne Lyle, but I guess her character reminded me of most bratty enabled kids. I wanted to punch her in the sock puppet.
The performances by the three main stars (Eisenberg, Leo and Morgan) were great in my opinion. Tracy Morgan especially shows off his impressive acting ability which is so unlike his oafish 30 Rock persona. It wasn’t a phenomenal film, but it’s one of those peeks into family train wrecks that makes me feel better about my own life.
Total Rating: B
Reviewed by: JM Willis
