Noah ends up stuck living with his mom, working with his mom, and trying to please Clare (while absurdly avoiding any chance of impregnating her). Throw in Clare’s cousin, a screenwriting slacker who parks himself on their couch, and you’ve got most of the makings for a sitcom full of canned laughter to tell the audience when something is funny, just in case they aren’t paying attention (or just don’t find any of it funny).
Shepard does an adequate job in this film, but given that Keaton is overbearing in both her role and her acting, he doesn’t have to do much or have much to do. Tyler (The Incredible Hulk, The Strangers, Reign Over Me) is sorely miscast in a trying-to-be-funny film (she seems to do better with more serious, or maybe just smaller, roles).
Smother, directed by Vince Di Meglio and adapted from a screenplay he wrote with Tim Rasmussen (both of whom co-wrote License to Wed), also stars the very funny Mike White, the guy who wrote Year of the Dog, Nacho Libre, The School of Rock, The Good Girl, and Orange County, all very funny films. White plays Clare’s cousin and sets up the only funny aspect of the entire film, which is the fact that his absurd screenplay idea is for a science fiction horror film about a Vietnam war hero who turns into a human mosquito.
The film is presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio, with audio in Dolby Digital and Spanish subtitles. Smother is rated PG-13 “for crude and sexual content, some drug material and language,” and has a 92-minute run time. Extras are as sparse as the laughs this film produces, and include only the short "Behind the Scenes," which features interviews with cast and crew, and the obligatory director’s commentary.
Smother was not screened in advance for critics, most likely because the critics would have left the theater within about half an hour of the opening credits. In the end, it’s annoying, unfunny, and a waste of time. (However, if you’re looking for a funny film that follows the same sort of premise, I recommend The Ex, starring Shepard’s doppelganger, Zach Braff, as well as the very funny Amanda Peet and Jason Bateman.)
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