Just Before I Go (2015)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Suicide is a complex topic and every case is different. This movie was funny in places and sensitive where it needed to be. Well worth the experience.

This movie disgustingly tries to make sympathetic characters out of cruel bullies.

Courtney Cox makes her directorial debut in Just Before I Go starring Seann William Scott (Ted) as mild mannered 41 year old who returns to his home town for some final preparations before he commits suicide.Ted has never felt right since his father died when he was a kid and although a pet shop manager in LA he feels his life is in a rut especially since his girlfriend left him. Haunted by memories of the high school bully, the teacher who tormented him at school he returns to stay with his brother and confront some of these people.What Ted finds that life is messed up in his home town. His brother, a police officer is obnoxious, might be having an affair. His wife sensing his infidelity breaks into Ted's bedroom at night and openly masturbates in the guise of sleepwalking, his nephew is closeted gay but hangs around bullies.His old teacher is in a nursing home, the high school bully is now a single parent raising a disabled child. Ted realises that things have changed but is still unsure about himself. He has an affair with a girl who was nice to him at High School even though she is a married mother of five kids and her weight has ballooned. This dark bitter sweet comedy actually does not start off promisingly and also not very original. Scott gives a low key performance as Ted, miles away from his character in the American Pie films. The film has just too much contrived zany characters and although the film finds it soft centre eventually it does it with a lot of wonkiness and without much laughs.

At its heart, Just Before I Go is about how people perceive the same thing differently. First-time director Courteney Cox (of Friends fame) does a very proficient job of putting into motion, a premise ripe for exploration, this time penned by screenwriter David Flebotte (Desperate Housewives). If you've read the blurb, then you know that the protagonist is planning to do himself in, which gives the impression that Just Before I Go will be a dark comedy. Comedy yes, but not nearly as dark as you might imagine. The film succeeds in balancing humor and drama; the humor is solid and consistent without being overbearing, and it works to best effect due to the audience being able to empathize with the likable characters.William Sean Scott gives this movie his all and he really shines. He is an exceptionally good actor and very under-rated. You travel with him in his transformation, rooting for him all of the time. Olivia Thirlby as Greta and Garret Dillahunt as "Lucky" are also excellent. Garret Dillahunt, a character actor whose face you may recognize, is all in with a tour de force as the domineering brother/ husband/ father/ cop named Lucky. Olivia Thirlby is sweet, vulnerable and beautiful. It was also good to see the great Clancy Brown, one of the best character actors of our generation, abet in a small but important part. Also, I was pleased to see the beautiful and talented Missi Pyle. I really wanted more of her and the always reliable Rob Riggle giving a top performance. And Connie Stevens showed everyone that she still has IT.The humor is not for everyone (if you find masturbation offensive), but Just Before I Go kept me glued to the screen and chuckling away for 95 minutes This was a very nice feel-good film. It is the kind of movie that will leave you smiling when it is over. Do yourself a favor, a buy this one and invite friends over.