"Results" is one of those tedious, quirky indie flicks with no in-built audience. Worse still, I had a fear it was intended as a comedy, and IMDb confirms this. It's not enough to say that there are no laughs in the movie. There's no humour. Nothing connects as though it is supposed to be funny. It's like another recent movie, "Drinking Buddies". That too was about people talking and doing boring things together, none of it of any interest to the viewer. You have to be careful about the word "weird" when describing something you don't like. A lot of weird movies are fascinating: most of David Lynch's or Cronenberg's repertoire, for example. "Results" and "Drinking Buddies" are not weird in themselves. It is, however, weird that their makers would expect anyone would want to watch them. Seeing a group of people enjoy this movie would be as bizarre as having a group of people stare enthralled at a hole in the wall for seven hours.

I had high hopes for this film after seeing it on A.O. Scott's "Best of 2015" list. I was not disappointed. "Results" is laugh-out-loud funny and enthralling from beginning to end. There are a few qualities of the film that I particular care for. Its characters, and the relationships between them, are rich in texture and charm, thanks largely to three stellar performances by Smulders, Pearce, and Corrigan. Their chemistry is electrifying and the dialogue feels incredibly organic. Even though tension builds throughout the film, the tone remains light. Bujalski never forces a thesis down the viewer's throat, but continuously provokes reflection on questions that are clearly on his mind (e.g. how exactly do preoccupations with our physical selves relate to happiness?) The humor is understated, but never deadpan or droll. Corrigan, as one might predict, is responsible for most of the laughs, but he leverages body language and facial expression unlike he's done so before.I would file "Results" next to some of Joe Swanberg's films (e.g. Drinking Buddies, Happy Christmas). Without a doubt, it is among the best movies of 2015.

Action stars Cobie Smulders and Guy Pearce get a chance to stretch as "musclebound rageaholics" (fitness coaches Kat and Trevor) in this rambling but clever comedy. The film's real hero, however, is Danny (Kevin Corrigan), a rich, schlumpfy client who likes to spread his money around in a helpful way—reminded me a little of the Weenie King in "The Palm Beach Story." I can see why "Results" made it onto NY Times critic A.O. Scott's ten-best list*; I can also see why so many online commenters found it annoying and boring… For one thing, writer/director Andrew Bujalski lets his mumblecore roots show by intercutting long, talky scenes with odd bits of indie filler (Kat does isometrics, Trevor plays with his dog) that don't do much to advance the plot. After a very good start—while it still seems like Danny's going to be the main character—the pacing starts to lag with a couple of subtle plot maneuvers that are well thought out but not all that involving. Luckily Kat pulls it all together in a great screwball-comedy set piece, an everything-on-the-table business dinner with Russian "kettlebell guru" Anthony Michael Hall. Truth be told, Pearce and Smulders don't have a whole lot of chemistry, so they do just fine as conflicted exes; it's not all that satisfying when they finally get together. Fans of "Punch-Drunk Love" may enjoy this one too; others not attuned to the indie sensibility should exercise caution. * More recently, a couple of Times critics put Corrigan and Pearce (both for best supporting) and Bujalski's screenplay on their lists of perfect-world Oscar noms.

I'll kick off by saying any film with the Anglo-Australian actor Guy Pearce in it will always draw me toward watching. He's that rarest of things - an actor who can act. An actor who is a bona fide film star. A bone fide film star who has achieved his status by rejecting Hollywood. In short, hats off to Guy Pearce.This film is a slow burn. Indeed, it's a bit of a tiresome slow burn. Contrary to most films which move at this slow a speed but which make sure they reveal some depth to the characters, we come to learn less about the characters in this movie as it progresses. Or, rather, and perhaps more accurately, we care less. Their 'inner turmoil' and 'hurting' are all self-inflcited and, were we to meet people like this in real life, we may very well be tempted to give them a kick in the behookey and tell them to get a grip.The ridiculously named Cobie Smulders plays the ridiculously named 'Kat'. She's a fitness instructor who possesses an excellent physical appearance but a sour and bitter emotional one. She works for Trevor (Pearce). She's also his ex-lover who becomes his lover again. That's what 104 minutes of this film tells us. Not much else that interests us happens.In the middle of this is Danny (Kevin Corrigan) a 'got-rich-quick' pot smoking no mark of a man. The plot stumbles for a short time around a flash in the pan sexual contact between Kat and Danny. It was never going to be interesting and resulted in exactly that.In addition, there's some Soviet weight-lifting guy, Grigory (Anthony Michael Hall - who was great in Aftermath [2013]), who appears to have nothing to do with anything which comes before his appearance in this movie, and precisely zero to do with all that follows it. In short, the script is rambling and was clearly written from the point of view 'Hey, we got nothing to lose'. And, doggedly, it stays on that road - chasing after imaginary shadows with nothing to lose because there was nothing there to start with. The direction is average. The cinematography sufficient. Locations anonymous. Supporting cast immediately forgettable.So, what are we left with? We're back where I started - Guy Pearce. And it's to his credit that this film keeps the viewer watching from the beginning to the end. Because he's the talent here. He adds the clever guitar solo to a dull, lacking in melody B-side of a movie.6 out of 10 - thanks Guy.