OCD and A Movie to See

I like contest-type reality shows like Project Runway, Sheer Genius, and Design Star, but lately I’ve become addicted to Flipping Out. It’s a Bravo TV show about an obsessive-compulsive micro-managing freak and his staff. He buys high end homes in the LA area and flips them for huge profit. His name is Jeff Lewis, and in him I see my worst nightmare. “There but for the grace of God go I.”

image Jeff seeks perfection in an imperfect world. When he asks an assistant to stock the refrigerator in one of the homes on the market, he nearly implodes if the labels on the water bottle aren’t all turned the same way. It’s comical to watch the assistants’ reactions to these insane demands but what resonates more to me is how right Jeff is. Every home he puts on the market is perfect. The homes are tasteful and spotless, with an immaculate glow that can only be achieved if you’re a tight ass. This overlord mentality is his core. It transcends to how he treats his pets (more important than his assistants), how he likes his meals, and how he hangs his clothes in his closet. And I think that in his manic obsession, he has a humor that bites, scratches, and slaps those around him. He will do things like demand that his assistants write him apology letters so that he can store them in their employee files. He has nanny-cammed his home because he feels unable to trust anyone. He puts 32-year old men on punishment when they do not meet his expectations. I know he’s an asshole, but I can’t help but view him as the hero of the story. In his constant frustration and in a whirl of firing and rehiring staff, we get a glimpse into the workings of a true perfectionist- and it makes me feel blessed that I have, although narrowly, escaped this curse.

Although not perfection, Tropic Thunder is an excellent way to kill a couple of hours. All laughter was genuine and easy. Recognizing that I am far behind the curve on this one, I think I’m deciding that Robert Downey Jr. is a good actor. I guess because of my age, the defining RD Jr. role is his character as Julian in Less Than Zero. It’s not fair to consider that his pinnacle role. He’s done a lot of good work since then- all of which goes unacknowledged by me. I’m tempted to see Iron Man now because I’ve heard he does a fantastic job.

The real star of Tropic Thunder is Tom Cruise. I would never care to meet Tom Cruise. I think he and that troll of a wife he has are creepy beyond comprehension. But he does an OUTSTANDING job in this movie. Maverick is all grown up now and, as much as it pains me to admit it, has real acting chops. The chest hair alone should earn him an ocsar nomination. 

  • i’m with you on flipping out. i could never work for him though, not because of what he asks of his staff but how he asks and reacts if not done perfectly. and i agree 100% on the water, it’s called staging and the idea, especially with high end homes, is to make the house seem like a dream come true. which in upscale la that equals perfection.
    however, i think you’re off on the cruise bit. it was ben stiller in tropic thunder, not cruise. better hope that cruise liked the movie or he and his highly effective team of lawyers just may sue you. wink
    as for katie holmes, i think she is the poster child for childhood crushes gone wrong. ~way~ the fuck ~wrong! she seemed like such a bright young woman till he got a hold of her. ya know the saying a gilded cage is still a cage? seems to fit perfectly in this situation.

    By heather on 2008 08 19

  • Heather , Tom Cruise IS in Tropic Thunder , he plays the studio’s owner Les Grossman. He is wonderful in the role and I agree with the critics who are raveng about his performance , he absolutely steals the movie. If you have seen the film then I think it absolutely shows just what a great job he did if you didn’t realise it was him.

    By michelle on 2008 08 19

  • It would never occur to me to NOT have all the labels facing the front. It’s automatic. But I don’t go back through and straighten stuff out after Rockboy or Redneck have been rummaging around.

    I could stage a home, especially if I had a great budget to work with. But I would be the diva, not Jeff, because there can only be one head bitch.

    By Roadchick on 2008 08 19

  • I didn’t even think to check what critics were saying about Tropic Thunder or Tom Cruise. Hum.... but it is his best role- maybe ever- in my very humble opinion.

    Road Chick,
    I really, really need to have you do a walk through of my home. My budget ranges from between $50 and $100. That will buy a lot Evian! Well, some Evian.

    By liz on 2008 08 19

  • love project runway and sheer genius more than flipping out, but i do find myself drawn in on MANY occasions.  dude is so right about so much, but his manner of dealing with disappointment would get him slapped down in a heartbeat if i were around.

    i’m looking forward to tropic thunder.  do yourself a favor and see iron man.  preferably on a big screen if it is still out at a dollar theater or something.  cool flick.

    By hello haha narf on 2008 08 19

  • my bad, i haven’t seen it and was just going by the previews i’ve seen of it and didn’t think that cruise would be playing an non-headlining role.
    when was the last time that ever happened? or has it? i mean, he’s ~always~ the lead male.
    odd how things that seem permanent change isn’t it?
    must be getting old myself… wink

    By heather on 2008 08 19

  • OMG!  I watched last season of Flipping Out and simultaneously loved AND hated him.  I have this season Tivo’d but haven’t watched it yet.  My favorite moments from last year:

    1.  When he hosted the “We Appreciate You” happy hour.  He was on the phone with one of his employees who was trying to get out of attending.  He was so insulted that this person didn’t want to come that he made attendance mandatory and told this person that if they weren’t there it was going in their file.  AND THEN he looked at the camera and said, “I’m going to appreciate them whether they like it or not.  I’m so going to heaven for this.” Later, during the party he made a really long, boring speech about how much he appreciated them - except that he repeatedly insulted each one while thanking them.  And he cried.  HA!! Now THAT’s entertainment.

    2.  When he failed to supply a port-a-john for the laborers and they pooped in the crawl space under the house.  He tried to make the one guy (the one who continually gets promoted, fails, and then gets demoted back to trash duty) get under the house and clean it up, but he refused.  I applauded, out loud.

    By Gwen on 2008 08 20

  • I love Flipping out. My only complaint is that the
    seasons are too short. It’s permanently set on my
    Tivo so i don’t miss new seasons when they come on.

    Little scary tho that people have really deficated
    on his job sites each season.

    Jenny is da bomb.

    By Mayren on 2008 08 20

  • I have a feeling I wouldn’t get along at all with that Jeff guy. I’m the opposite of a perfectionist. I could give a shit about what way labels are facing anywhere. I also feel like the people I work with are WAY more important than anything. I can’t stand it when bosses are dicks to their employees. It might be fascinating to watch him, just because we’re so different. You know, like studying a different species.

    By churlita on 2008 08 20

  • I’d like to see Tropic Thunder. I would have liked to have seen Iron Man, but when you have kids, you have no spare time. I did make it to see Batman, but that was out of necessity.

    The last good RDJ movie I saw was Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. Val Kilmer is also in it (he played Jody Pitts in the movie, Real Genius). Val was also in True Romance (which was written by Quentin Tarantino) but you only saw him below the neck because he played Elvis. Brad Pitt was also in True Romance, and it was his best role ever! Gary Oldman played a black man in True Romance, but didn’t have a race change operation like RDJ. Gary Oldman plays Commissioner (spoiler alert!) Gordon in the Dark Knight. I think he is the best actor of my generation, as is evidenced in the movie Romeo is Bleeding. See, I used to not have kids.

    By Steven on 2008 08 20

  • steven, you missed what was possibly val’s best role! as jim morrison in the doors. he did a great job with that.

    By heather on 2008 08 20

  • You missed Ironman?  Were you living under a rock or something?  You missed the movie of the season. 

    You must go and see it immediately, before anyone realizes that you missed it, or people will start to avoid you.

    By laughingattheslut on 2008 08 22

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    By Terry Moses on 2008 11 12

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