Quirky little dramedy, this one. Definitely off the radar for not but has the makings of a sleeper hit. Time will tell.

Although not the title character, Cyrus tells the story of John (John C. Reily), a lonely divorcee of seven years who's about to watch his ex-wife (Catherine Keener) get married. By chance, John meets Molly (Marisa Tomei) at a party and much to the surprise of everyone, including John, the two hit it off great. Things seem to be going well at first except Molly has a habit of disappearing and is somewhat protective of her personal life. John decides to do a little stalking and soon finds out that Molly lives with her Mama's boy son Cyrus (Jonah Hill), an aspiring new age musician with an odd sense of humor. At first, all seems well between the three until John discovers behind Cyrus's seemingly harmless eccentricities lies a master manipulator with an extreme Oedipus complex. It's not long before the two engage in a battle of wits for the prize that is Molly's heart.

I've always thought comedians, even bad ones, are secretly great actors. It's a hard thing to make anyone laugh. It takes a certain knowledge of people's feelings and sensibilities to do so. That's why guys like Adam Sandler and Jaimie Fox end up nominated for Academy Awards. Jonah Hill is no exception. Reily is already an actor of considerable comedic and dramatic chops but Hill steals the show proving himself not only to be the funny man we all know from Judd Apatow's films but also touching and downright scary... like Hannibal Lecter scary. There were definitely times the film teetered on thriller territory. Hill's character definitely has more than a few screws loose and you never quite know what he's gonna do next. There was also some genuine chemistry between him and Tomei. Despite how abnormal their relationship is, you really buy them as mother and son who really love each other. Reily and Tomei also share some strong chemistry as a romantic couple who are more than a little off. Though protagonist and antagonist are clearly spelled out, the characters are complicated and make for some very realistic drama.

But let's not forget that this is a comedy, first and foremost. If you're a fan of awkward humor, this one's for you. Boy, does it ever get awkward. Reily is on his game here, bringing his classic goofball persona to the table. Hill opts for a more deadpan style than I imagine most people are used to but is also hilarious and brings something else to the table that compliments Reily nicely. Really, the whole cast is great but where would they be without great writing. The script really facilitates the performances and gives the actors opportunities to mess around and do what they do best.

I'd recommend this to anyone who likes dark humor and genre-bending as well as people who want to see Reily and Hill in something different. Really hope this one gets noticed. It's definitely a gem.