RESULTS

US, 2015, 105 minutes, Colour.
Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Brooklyn Decker, Anthony Michael Hall, Constance Zimmer, Elizabeth Berridge.
Directed by Andrew Bujalski.

What to expect from results?

This is an offbeat Texas comedy drama from Andrew Bujalski, an experimental kind of director who made an impact with Computer Chess.

In this one, Trevor, Guy Pearce, allowed to be an Australian, runs a gym in Austin, with quite a wide range of clients. One of his key trainers is Kat played by Cobie Smulders, who has had a relationship with Trevor in the past. She keeps fit, but varies in her moods.

Enter Daniel, an interesting performance by Kevin Corrigan, who wants to be fit but really needs a good psychiatrist as well, separated from his wife, with a big inheritance from his divorced wife, able to buy whatever he wants, and falling in love with the trainer.

There are quite a lot of oddball situations, with Guy Pearce having to deal with all kinds of problems but also ambitious, planning an extended gym and progressing with its building.

And the tangles with Kat and with Daniel, Trevor tries to keep a sane perspective on things – but does go on a trip to see a fitness guru that he admires – played by Anthony Michael Hall – who is not quite the guru that he imagined!

Which means then that to get results, one should use one’s ordinary gifts and utilise one’s common sense!

1. An offbeat comedy about people? The writer-director, his story and perspective?

2. A Texas story? Austin? A Texas mentality? The world of trainers and clients? Offices, courses, exercises? Interviews, accounts? The philosophy of Power 4 You? The range of clients, some bizarre, the range of trainers? Dreams of expansion and hopes?

3. The philosophically of philosophy of the Power 4 Life, Trevor and his beliefs, others not sharing it in practice? The ideal versus the pragmatic and the cynical?

4. Guy Pearce as Trevor, an Australian character, his company, establishing it, building it for 10 years, his slogans, physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual? The clips on You Tube? His staff, the groups for exercises? His own personal training? Living alone, his companionship with the dog? The revelation that he had a daughter? The past relationship with Kat? The agent for buying the building, the sexual relationship? How credible character?

5. Kat, a trainer, her continued running, uptight? Her appearance, called? Angers? Relationships, clients, confronting the woman who had not paid? The clips on You Tube? the past with Trevor, critical of him? Training the fat man who just wanted to stop, her quitting? The encounter with Daniel, the initial meeting, the possibilities, positions, the interview, his photographing his food, the growing involvement, the exercises, smoking pot, the sexual encounter, watching the television and the program on mental health? The effect on her, Daniel’s lavish dinner and the musicians, storming out, her anger? Threat of the law?

6. Daniel, his wife, leaping up to the window sill, her shutting the window? His age, experience, not talking to his mother, her second marriage, becoming rich, her death? His inheriting after his divorce? His wealth, the lavish house, spending on what he wanted, wilful? His being bored and depressed? The initial interview with Trevor, wanting to take a punch? At home, the range of equipment? Kat, the food, photo of the pizza? His exercises, watching You Tube, the clip with Kat and her butt? His talk, his story? Pot, drinking? Paying the hundreds of dollars to fix his TV? The sexual encounter, infatuated with Kat? The dinner, lavish preparation, her anger? His stopping the cheque? The encounter with poor, the slacker lawyer, pot smoking, friend?

7. Trevor going to the new site, his dreams and imaginings for a new centre? The confrontation with Daniel, the threats? Defending Kat? The discussions about his affair? Discussions with Daniel, going inside, Paul, the drinking? Daniel and his financing the centre, the visit the plan? Paul and the documents, pressurising Trevor to sign? Daniel and his anger, ousting Trevor, refusing to take his calls? Selling his share cheaply to Kat?

8. The visit to the guru, the long drive, the man himself, the YouTube? clips, settle down, the younger wife, the meals, his not having ideals, the touch of the cynic, pragmatic, the discussion about the seminars, about perfection and bodies? Calls with Kat, speeding and the red light, the police? Her joining the meal, the plain talk? The gift of the dumbbells?

9. Kat and Trevor, the talk, the photos of his daughter, the sexual relationship? The possibilities for the future?

10. Daniel, the advice to go to the sorority, inviting the girls to the party?

11. The end, altogether happily dancing – what future?