My First Mister (2001) (2024)

Popular reviews

• Review by Rafael "Parker!!" Jovine ★★★½

  Another good story about two people who are not only different in personality but also in age, yet somehow manage to build a unique, albeit troubled, but ultimately endearing relationship, in which one of the parties will have the opportunity to find what he or she is missing on life.

  There is also a distinct tone to the film, which places it into a particular era, limiting its appeal to a wider audience as many seem to evolve out of many of the questionable tropes present in the film, especially the platonic love that blossoms between our protagonists.

  In the 90s and 00s, Leelee Sobieski became known for playing characters who bore the appearance of being very alienated, characters that…

• Review by 📀 Cammmalot 📀 ★★★★

  Cinematic Time Capsule2001 Marathon - Film #9

  ”My lover’s in the bathroom getting coffee out of his nose”

  I utterly adore this heart-felt riff on Harold and Maude.

  Albert Brooks and Leelee Sobieski completely steal my heart every time. In fact, I see so much of myself in both of them that watching this film feels like I’m having my very own personal split-personality convention.

  ”This... this is very bad Fellini we're about to enter into”

  Then, as if that’s not enough, you’ve also got Carol Kane as an adorable musical loving mom, John Goodman as drugged out hippy dad and Michael McKean as a really creepy stepdad.

  And yes, I know the third act is contrived and melodramatic, but I love these characters so much it that it simply doesn’t matter.

  ”You know, in spite of what you’re doing…
  You are very beautiful”

  
  Cinematic Time Capsule - 2001 Ranked

  Films of Sundance – 2001

• Review by Sally Jane Black 1

  One of those films where I'm relieved to find it's not pedophilic, even if it toys with it relentlessly, but still: it affirms repeatedly every time it comes to the edge of inappropriate that it's going for something else. It feels as if it's intentionally playing with these tropes, and then it takes everything into an entirely different direction, It's a very dated film (especially by a horrific moment of bad computer graphics that will haunt me forever), but the generation gap storyline provides links to other eras that soften the effect of datedness. It's a flawed, sometimes poorly paced, sometimes cliche, often sappy, but not unlikable film. Sobieski's monologues trail off after the first few minutes and her acting carries the rest of the piece; the cartoonish goth character doesn't really have any relation to reality but she's not bad for a more general picture of teen angst and coming-of-age.

  52 project: 34/52

• Review by HalloweenHenry ★★★★

  I can totally relate to this flick. When I was 17, I also fell madly in love with Albert Brooks. I had just watched Defending Your Life, and was instantly smitten. I watched all his movies, and my love for him only grew. As the years passed, I went through a "bad boy" phase. I found out Albert had a brother!!! And bestill my heart, he was a world famous stuntman!!! Years passed, I'd almost forgotten about Albert. When one evening I went to go see a racing picture, and there was Albert, slicing up chemistry teachers, with straight razors!! He'd never been sexier!!

  In all honesty, I adore this very sweet film. It's not talked about enough. Give it a watch. I think you'll enjoy it!

• Review by maneleeo ★★★½

  Having seen so many depictions of violent, troubled, impossible and other negatively implied adjectives used for the word love, it's difficult to remind myself there are other kinds of love. For example, there is the love that comes from friendship, the love without sexuality, the so called platonic love. This is not the first film to depict the relationship between someone that's pretty young with someone who is considerably older, but it manages to be so endearing and charming it feels different from any other film I've seen from of such type.

• Review by david_bruner ★ 1

  Why was this goth child so ungrateful to have comedy ICON Carol Kane as her mother smh.

• Review by rthornhill ★★★★½

  a well done tearjerker with a surprising and touching story. sobieski and brooks are both terrific in their respective roles.

• Review by Daniel Bernard ★★★★

  Ghost Worldmeets Terms of Endearment.And if that sounds weird and random, that's because it is. But, it's also just as welcome as John Goodman's cameo is.

  Maybe a little too much-forced sentiment towards the end, otherwise what could have been a Woody Allen reject turns into something decidedly (and refreshingly) not so.

  Never thought I'd ever see Albert Brooks in leather, dancing (and grinding to) Fatboy Slim's "I See You Baby (Shakin' That Ass.)" One of many surprises to be found here.

• Review by 🇵🇱 Steve G 🇵🇸 ★★★★

  52 Films Directed by Women 3: Days, Not Weeks

  33/52

  The subject matter of My First Mister is one that is *very* difficult to pull off.

  And I really, really have better things to be doing with my time than watching a film where a 17 year old girl has a relationship containing any sexual or romantic connotations with a guy in his late forties. I just freeze when I see a film featuring characters with such a big age difference and expect the worst.

  I'd say the best two examples, in recent years at least, of films getting this sort of story right would be Lost in Translation and Columbus. These two films, and My First Mister, share a…

• Review by abbigail ★★★

  when you just want to bang albert brooks but get stuck with his hot son instead 😤😤

• Review by Joey The Rat Man ★★★★½

  "I'd like to propose a toast. To all the special "F" words, to friends, family, fate, forgiveness, and forever."

• Review by Matt ★★★★

  I watched this for Brookstober and I'd never heard of it before at all. I checked a few reviews to make sure it wasn't a creep movie, and it's not, but I did not know to prepare myself for how much it affected me.

  I think the main reason was that I was able to see myself in both of the characters, the weird outsider teen and the normie sheltered older guy. Sobieski and Brooks both give tremendous performances and it's startling how many other big actors are in this film in minor roles.

  It's a touch melodramatic, but that worked for me because I was drawn to the characters. It also drained me to where it probably ends up in that category of movies that you can only watch once, but I'm very glad that I saw it.