Brad's Status Review

Brad’s Status follows a father (Ben Stiller) who goes through a mid life crisis when comparing his average suburban life to those of his old college buddies, who by now are living lives of fame and fortune.

I initially thought this premise would be brushed over by the accompanying family subplot of Brad going college touring with his son, but, thankfully, that only enhanced the mental battle that the protagonist has with himself throughout the movie. This is mainly because Brad is put in many situations in which he has to think about what’s best for his son’s future since he evaluates himself as a failure.

The story uses a lot of narration to give the audience an understanding of what Brad is always thinking, which I thought was brilliant. Usually, narration is a lazy way to give the viewer a lot of exposition, but in this film, it gives each scene more depth than you’d expect. You understand what Brad is doing every step of the way because we can clearly understand his motivations. Therefore, it makes it easier for us to connect with him as we see his life through his eyes and how his actions affect both him internally and other characters.

His internal discussions about success and failure in life really resonated with me and even got me thinking about how I define them when thinking about my own future. For those, however, who do not even slightly agree with his viewpoints, the film goes even deeper to explore the fact that he may be exaggerating his crisis, an act which some might call arrogant. This makes Brad’s dilemma more interesting because it leads to him questioning himself even more, fostering some riveting character development.

The film does end in kind of an abrupt way, however. Brad’s story ends logically but any other storylines related to other characters are dropped. I understand why they did this because the movie isn’t really about all the ordinary stuff that goes on around Brad, but instead how all that stuff affects the mental crisis he’s in (up to the resolution).

This may seem weird to more casual viewers and did tip me off at first, but the ending is justified when you think about it.

Don’t get me wrong though, this isn't a serious or depressing movie, by the way. There is some humor sprinkled in and the tone is overall light-hearted, which I think makes the drama hit harder during the more emotional conversations. It comes out more realistic that way and leads to some great chemistry between Brad and his son.

Overall, this was a deep and well written film that I think is a must see for anyone looking for a fun, thought provoking experience.

The Verdict: 9/10