Cera plays Nick Twisp, a teen that finds he must create an alter ego to woo a girl he's fallen for. Given her love of all things Belmondo, Twisp uses Francois to be the devil-on-his-shoulder, allowing him to act as the bad boy he's never been.

It all sounds like it could be trite and predictable, yet Cera plays both roles with such effortlessness and elegance that it's hard not to fall for the story. This is a Cera breakout role, showing better than most films his genuine range as an actor. Commenting directly upon his stereotypical roles, we see the real power of his capabilities as an actor, as he seamlessly occupies both characters with great with and charm.

Excellent supporting performances from the likes of Jean Smart, Steve Buscemi, and even Ray Liotta make for an extremely enjoyable coming of age film with a Twispy twist.

Tying disparate stories together, mostly told through casual conversation, the film avoids feeling episodic. Through the witty dialogue we get some genuinely amusing insights into the characters, from a daughter's Karaoke recital to the desperately depressingly sister named "Joy" (played with mousey perfection by Shirley Henderson). And kudos to Paul Reubens for his scene stealing phantasmagoric creepiness.

This is a talky piece, sure, and scenes mirror almost exactly those found in Happiness, making this a kindred film, if not a direct sequel. As such, it's not nearly as hard hitting as the previous film, and as such isn't nearly as successful. Still, it's a pleasure to watch, yet is perhaps too weird for a casual filmgoer, too slight for the hardcore fans of Solondz.

Minutes into the film we find out that a murder has occurred. We know who did it, where they are hiding. The rest of the film is spent either in surreal flashback to ancient Greek theatrical presentations, or the exploration of Flamingo kitch. Couple this with moments of stillness (the shot to the right is an example of one of these "freeze frames", with the actors simply stopping in place without specific motivation) and you get the idea of this strange, surreal flick.

Herzog was quite adamant that while David Lynch is associated as a producer, he played no role in the film. Instead, his intention was to write, shoot, and cut a film in a very short amount of time, with a very small budget, using a coterie of his famous friends as actors. Unlike most recent Lynch films, there was a lightness and humour to the entire proceeding. Unfortunately, there was also the blindly incoherent moments, gratuitous side trips into surrealism for little to no narrative reason. Herzog dismissed all claims of this incoherence, meaning that, unfortunately, he's blind to his own weaknesses with this film.

That said, it's still, at its heart, and enjoyable picture, quirky and crazy enough to be captivating in its own lurching way. After all, who else but Herzog would find compelling beauty in a basketball left in a tree by a highway. For that, I guess, we should continue be eternally grateful.