In all his bearded glory, The Shins frontman James Mercer comes out of indie obscurity and stars in a film that tackles the equally obscure question, “Why do the good times go by so fast while the difficult times always seem so sticky?” Writer/director Matt McCormick’s Some Days are Better Than Others attempts to find an answer through “awkward characters who maintain hope by inventing their own forms of communication and self-fulfillment.” Don’t worry, it’s not awkward in the Michael Cera-ian sense. Trailer and screenshots after the jump.

Some Days are Better than Others (trailer) from matt mccormick on Vimeo.

The Who’s Who

Eli (James Mercer) – It’s hard to imagine the Shins songwriter as a 30-something slacker/bum, but alas, such is the case in Some Days are Better Than Others. Still, his character can apparently “offer a thoroughly-researched social critique explaining all the reasons why he shouldn’t get a job.” Now that’s the James Mercer we know.

Katrina (Carrie Brownstein) – As (we’re assuming) Eli’s love interest, the Sleater-Kinney guitarist plays the classic, awkward animal shelter girl who watches abundant amounts of reality TV and makes video diaries.

Otis (David Wodehouse) – The unrecognized, eccentric filmmaker/inventor. Oddly, the main actors (including Renee Roman Nose below) are all comedians. We’re including Mercer, too. The irony of him actually starring in a film of melancholy, Garden State caliber is just too much.

Camille (Renee Roman Nose) – She is the analogy for the film. Match this: “…a socially handicapped thrift store attendant who spends her days sorting through the donated discards of other people’s lives” with that: “[the film] is a sad valentine to the forgotten discards of a throwaway society, and a story about knowing when to hold on, and when to let go.”

What are your thoughts? Does our Shins man seem like he can act? Does the movie, for one reason or another, remind you of Me, You, and Everyone We Know?