while Greg Kinnear's acting and directing here are solid, the writing isn't up to snuff. The end result is a dramedy that is at times inane and at times moving, though unfortunately more so the former than the latter
making a movie about suicide and keeping it inside Mr. Kinnear's light-comedic wheelhouse would be a lot to ask of any director, never mind a first at-bat; Phil isn't a home run, exactly. But you could rule it a double to left
Greg Kinnear sells the dual personalities well and is serviceable behind the camera, but presents Phil as a simple message movie where the message is obvious from the beginning; It has the premise of a black comedy with head-scratchingly safe humor
"Phil" is derivative and just plain unfunny; while the visual style is flat and uninteresting, Greg Kinnear manages to squeeze powerful performances from himself and the rest of his cast