I love Alan Rickman in anything especially here where he plays a vain, selfish Nobel Laureate chemistry professor, Eli Michaelson. He plays it beautifully. If Alan would reconsider, he should be awarded and accept British knighthood but he has declined in the past. Mary Steenburgen is wonderful as the long suffering wife and mother. Eli's son, Barkley, learns some surprising facts and truths about his beloved father. Eli isn't so keen on giving up his money. There are plenty of memorable moments in the film like the car chase in the mall. Danny DeVito has a features role as their tenant. The cast is marvelous and the story is entertaining as well. It's nice to see Mary Steenburgen in a role worthy of her talent.

Eli Michaelson (Alan Rickman) is arrogant, narcissistic, and an all-round pig of a man. When he wins the Nobel prize in chemistry, his wife (Mary Steenburgen) and son are expected to join him when he is presented with the two million dollars. Instead, his son is kidnapped and held for ransom for that exact amount.This is a perfect indie film with a bizarre script with endless twists and turns, excellent actors in quirky, often off-putting roles, a loud, funky soundtrack, and a pace that's so quick you'll need to see the movie twice to absorb it all. The ensemble cast is headed by Alan Rickman at his sarcastic best, wallowing happily in his role as a heartless husband and father. He's wonderful. Steenburgen's role is never fully explained; why would she stay married to such a beast? Bill Pullman is great as the cop who investigates the kidnapping. He's sympathetic, professional, and ultra-creepy all at the same time. Bryan Greenberg is good as the kidnap victim. Danny de Vito and Ted Danson round out the cast in small parts.The exciting script will keep you guessing and the acting is top-notch. Recommended.

First off, I was sucked into the movie. I mention this, because so few movies grab my attention.I think the acting was pretty good. Ever since Die Hard, I always liked the actor who played the father. The son was perfectly fine as well. I really liked City Hall, but the plot called for little of her. I think the mom could have shown a little more emotion, but otherwise solid. Really, I can't criticize the acting here.The plot was not particularly innovative, but had a few interesting tweaks.The camera work seemed pretty standard. I think the modern technique calls for a lot more camera movement, which I don't always care for.Parts of the movie were a bit disturbing. That's a personal thing, and what I found disturbing, others may have found amusing.My main complaint was that the movie seemed to shift a bit late in the movie. It felt like they ran out of time and had to cram a ton of stuff into the last 30 minutes. It wasn't that I was lost. I followed the story. But it was a bit unsatisfying. Had the final 30 minutes of the film been more solid, I think maybe I would have given it a 6 out of 10.

Eli Michaelson, the winner of the Nobel Prize for chemistry is some piece of work! He seduces his female students; he has an ego the size of an elephant, and in addition, he is a nasty SOB. To make matters worse, he is being recognized for the work that might have been developed by another scientist. We meet this man as he is going to go to Sweden to accept the prize, at a time when his son Barkley is facing a crisis of his own.Barkley, who is a student himself, has been at odds with his father for quite some time. He doesn't see eye to eye with the old man, who considers him unworthy of being his son. Barkley meets a young woman at a poetry venue, where most of the poems that are read are just plain weird. Her name is City Hall, a name that goes well with the odd ball she is. As their meeting progresses into a tumble in the hay, Barkley ends up missing the flight to Stockholm to accompany his parents for the ceremony.To make matters worse, Barkley is kidnapped by a young guy, Thaddeus, who is intent in seeking revenge for something the older Michaelson has caused in his life. The kidnapper and his victim suddenly discover they have a lot more in common than anyone of them suspected. Thaddeus wants to get two million dollars from the old man he holds responsible for ruining his life.Randall Miller, the creator of "Nobel Son" is a man that has a knack for bringing interesting stories to the screen, as he proved with "Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School", which is a small gem that was not appreciated as it should have been. Together with his frequent collaborator, Jody Savin, they deliver a movie that never seems to surprise the viewer.Alan Rickman, a great Englis actor, is perfect as the egotistical Eli, a man who is so nasty, vulgar, and just plain hateful. Mr. Rickman is one of the pleasures in watching the film. Equally excellent are Bryan Greenberg and Shawn Hatosy, two of our interesting young actors that keep getting better and better all the time. Mary Steenburgen was another surprise as the long suffering wife of Eli. Bill Pullman has a small role, as well as Danny DeVito. We also enjoyed Eliza Dushku, who is seen as the crazy poet, City Hall.Highly recommended for fans of Randall Miller.