Results (film)

Plot

Recently divorced, newly rich, and utterly miserable, Danny (Corrigan) is the perfect test subject for the relationship between money and happiness. Danny's well funded ennui leads to the local gym, where he meets self-styled guru/owner Trevor (Pearce) and acerbic trainer Kat (Smulders). Soon, the three lives are inextricably linked.

Cast

Casting

Guy Pearce and Cobie Smulders were announced as the main duo and joined already cast Kevin Corrigan, Constance Zimmer, Giovanni Ribisi, Brooklyn Decker, and Anthony Michael Hall.

Filming

Filming took place in Austin, Texas in the summer of 2014.

Release

Results was announced in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and debuted at the Festival on January 27, 2015. The film was screened at many other festivals including closing the Capital City Film Festival, South by Southwest, Cleveland International Film Festival, and Dallas International Film Festival. Results was released in a limited release and through video on demand on May 29, 2015.

Critical response

Review aggregators Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an 83% approval rating, with an average score of 6.4/10, based on reviews from 72 critics. The consensus states: "Results moves stubbornly at its own deliberate pace, but the well-chosen cast — and writer-director Andrew Bujalski's insightful observations — offer rich rewards for patient viewers." Metacritic gives the film a score of 73 out of 100 based on reviews from 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Kyle Smith of the New York Post criticized the casting: "Cobie Smulders, comes across as a walking iceberg only with less of a sense of humor" whilst Pearce's "bland character is even duller than she is". Smith said Corrigan "is pretty much the last guy on Earth you’d want to cast in a romcom (well, maybe second to last: Kevin Smith). And yet he’s the best thing about the movie" However, Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair believed that "Pearce, Smulders, and Corrigan give fluid, easygoing performances, never condescending to their characters no matter how pitiful they might be. Smulders is especially engaging—she makes Kat prickly and short-tempered but never entirely unlikable". Scott Foundas of Variety said, "Bujalski wrote 'Results' with specific actors in mind, and the roles fit them as snugly as spandex leotards". Sarah Salovaara of the Filmmaker Magazine said that “Beyond modesty, Bujalski and his longtime d.p. Matthias Grunsky demonstrate a great handle on the comic potential of framing.”

Alexander Lowe gave Results 3 out of 5 stars and said, "[W]hile not a perfect film by any means, the plot is light and enjoyable, the performances are tight and the conclusion is satisfying. All of that is far more than can be said for the vast majority of romantic comedies in recent years, so at the very least, Results should be commended for that."