"Why Stop Now" is a little movie that quietly premiered with a limited theatrical release in the US on August 17, 2012. Currently it has a pretty tepid response from critics with a 25% at Rotten Tomatoes and 36/100 at Metacritic.Which is unfortunate because "Why Stop Now" is a fantastic movie. It's one of those sort of films that one doesn't want to end. Roger Ebert says it best: "How did this one get under the radar? Week after week, we get dimwitted comedies, and then a charmer like this comes along, and it gets a limited release."
The films stars Jesse Eisenberg as Eli, a piano prodigy, who tries to get his mother (Melissa Leo as Penny) into rehab but gets caught up in a drug deal on his way to a music school audition. "Why Stop Now" shows a different side to Eisenberg. Eli is still the awkward guy that Jesse Eisenberg is know for but here he adds a fascinating edge to that archetype. Eli is angry, bitter, and bossy,yet also caring, loving, and selfless. The character contains a darkness to him which the film makes a point to note in an attempt to show that even nice guys can turn into drug addicts.
The other stars of the film Leo, Tracy Morgan as Penny's multifaceted drug dealer, and Sarah Ramos as Eli's love interest round the film out nicely. Rent this film Hartford. "Why Stop Now" is a funny yet poignant look at a parent's drug abuse and it's effect on the family.
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