01
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Why this pick
Its interwoven moral crises and coolly comic intellectual milieu sharpen the same interest in how an ordinary person rationalizes an irreversible choice.
A FILM WORTH A CLOSER LOOKTHE FEATURE PRESENTATION
MOVIE2015 2h 10m USA
IF THIS ONE STAYED WITH YOU
Movies like
Irrational Man
Drama
CINEHUNCH / THE NEXT FRAME
Keep the feeling.
SIMILAR PICKS / A PERSONAL CONNECTION
If you loved Irrational Man, try these.
01
02
Cassandra's Dream
Why this pick
This somber, character-led moral thriller follows two men whose practical decision corrodes their lives, echoing Irrational Man’s fascination with guilt and rationalization.
03
The Man Who Wasn't There
Why this pick
A precise, chilly noir about a passive man tempted into action; its fatalism and dry irony complement Abe’s detached worldview and escalating choices.
04
The Bothersome Man
Why this pick
This subtly surreal Scandinavian satire turns emotional emptiness into an elegant, unsettling world, preserving the existential dislocation beneath Irrational Man’s dark comedy.
05
The Ax
Why this pick
A middle-class professional begins treating an appalling course of action as logical necessity in this sharp, tense satire of ethical self-deception.
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01 / THE STORY
A little about the film.
At the small-town fictional New England college campus of Braylin, philosophy professor Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix) is experiencing an existential crisis. He is depressed, sees no meaning in his life, and drinks excessively. Despite this, he immediately catches the eye of two women: chemistry professor Rita Richards (Parker Posey), and Jill Pollard (Emma Stone), one of his students. Jill has a serious boyfriend and lives with her parents. Rita lives with her husband, but is dissatisfied with her marriage. Abe chooses to sleep with Rita but is careful to have only a platonic relationship with Jill. Abe's depression becomes even more apparent when he fails to have an erection during his first sexual experience with Rita.
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02 / FACES IN THE FRAME
The people who bring it to life.
Jamie Blackley
Roy
Parker Posey
Rita
Nancy Carroll
Professor
Jack Haven
Braylin Student
Betsy Aidem
Jill's Mother
Paula Plum
College President
Nancy Giles
President's Assistant
Henry Stram
Cocktail Party Guest