Stay for dinner, but don't expect dessert.
Released: 2010
Genre(s): Comedy
There's no denying Steve Carell's knack for character acting: "Anchorman," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Get Smart," and more recently 2010's "Dinner for Schmucks." With such an impressive repertoire of goofiness under his belt, "Dinner for Schmucks" sets itself up as the perfect vehicle for Carell to let loose; it's just a shame that the rest of the film can't keep pace with his hilarious, high-energy performance. While not a badly written movie, it is rather inconsistent, with some moments popping with expected comedic wit and others feeling like uninspired afterthoughts. The juxtaposition between Paul Rudd's character (more straight-laced and downtrodden than most of his recent roles) and Carell's blundering idiocy frequently shows flashes of genius in what is oftentimes an underwhelming and overly-sappy storyline; indeed, even though this is a comedy, it unfortunately overreaches in its efforts to strike an emotional chord with its audience. Still, it is the characters that make this film worth watching, and it is through their performances that this movie's other shortcomings can be, at least momentarily, overlooked. Zach Galifianakis lends his talents especially well to the colorful cast of misfits, drawing on his uncanny ability to be both outlandishly amusing and unbelievably obnoxious at the same time. While it obviously lacks the cohesive charm and smarts of some of Carell's past endeavors, he still manages to make it a whacky and fun trip, and as far as dumb comedies go, this one can certainly hold its own.
Rating (out of 5): 3
No comments:
Post a Comment