It is really hard to know quite what to make of this movie. I am inclined to think it's a hair away from being a masterpiece or just trash.

I usually don't pay too much attention to which actors are or aren't in something, or rather usually I prefer to not recognize any actors, but the presence of Jack Black in here gives it a certain credibility, and his impeccable comic timing makes this that much more palatable.

A very dark story about how much of our identity hinges on who were were as youths and how our lives go down hill from there. The plot demands that you believe that a class reunion could be that much of a big deal. It throws its own hands up at one point and tries to hand wave a plot hole by making it an oversight by the main character but it's still just a plot hole.

Things take a very awkward turn half way through in a way I did not see coming. It's an intentionally discomforting movie where things can get quite excruciating. It's a tricky balancing act, not going over board with that kind of thing and overall this movie, despite its intelligent armoury of characterisation and nuance, doesn't quite pull its ambitious story off. Having said that I'm very glad this movie found its audience there were people who could get out of this movie the very particular thing it had to give.

It rather smugly ends thinking it's resolved all it characters problems but it hasn't.

The first scenes of the movie show us a mediocre guy, Dan (Jack Black); being ignored and rejected by people that do not look any better than him. The next scenes show Dan and his family and at first sight; things are even more depressing. That is the moment I thought what I am doing here ? I did not come to see a movie to be depressed. Anyway I stayed and what came later was even worse. However the movie become better every minute (if you are able to keep up with the exasperation of painful situations that somewhat reminds us of stupid things of our youth. The D train is a movie about frustration; our own and others we idealize. It is about how we value charisma and coolness over other perhaps more important and deeper virtues; even rejecting the people who care about us. It is about how empty our life might become if we are unable to find our place in the world.

It is also a comedy; and will make you laugh but never without some pain.

Jack Black is a humble actor and really you should put aside your whole ego to do this character. He is not even a nice person; just a mediocre trying to live others people lives.

James Mardsen is brilliant as the cool popular guy that knows perfectly well his own life is worthless. His two scenes with Black at the end of the movie; when he express his feelings about Dan; and when he apologizes; are just perfect. Both actors shine there with controlled performances rarely seen in a comedy (like this one been marketed as).

In brief; it is a rewarding movie that will make you think. For us is perhaps too late; but we can teach our children about this kind of mistakes.

Dan Landsman (Jack Black) is a self-important sad man. He's married to Stacey (Kathryn Hahn) with teen son Zach. His boss is computer-adverse Bill Shurmur (Jeffrey Tambor). He has lived a limited life. He's the unliked lead organizer of his 20th year high school reunion. One night, he catches a TV commercial with popular former classmate Oliver Lawless (James Marsden). He insists that Oliver was a friend. He goes out to LA to invite Oliver to the reunion which culminates in a drunken sexual awakening.

This is a dark comedy which left me cold. Dan is annoying, pathetic, and unfunny. His dilemma and his obsession is just as annoying, just as pathetic, and just as unfunny. This could have gone darker to go crazy with this premise but it doesn't. At the end of the day, I never cared about these characters and the movie doesn't make me care about them. It ends rather flatly. Sometimes, Jack Black takes on this other side of the coin. I wait for him to truly hit it out of the park with this persona.