Dinner for Schmucks - ***
There's a certain calm that comes with being a friendly dope. I'd say that "ignorance is bliss," but in this instance, it's more like "obliviousness allows optimism."
At least, that's what Dinner for Schmucks shows us. Based upon a French film called "The Dinner Game," Schmucks stars Paul Rudd as Tim, a mild-mannered low-level but ambitious employee of a financial company run by a boss (Bruce Greenwood) who ends up making the audience question whether the true idiot is the idiot or the guy who has to amuse himself by laughing at idiots. In a chance meeting, he impresses his boss with a business opportunity, and gets invited to the eponymous dinner--a "Dinner for Winners," where the word "winners" is used ironically.
Tim's not a bad guy, and is conflicted, especially when his girlfriend, Julie, tells him that it's wrong. But he goes along with it--oh, no! behind his girlfriend's back--, especially when what seems to be fate jumps right into his lap in the form of Barry, an oblivious IRS agent (believe me, the IRS bit is important for a number of jokes). Barry (Steve Carell) is perfect, and a sure-fire winner for this promotion, simply because his hobby is "rescuing" already-dead mice, taking them to a taxidermist, and using them as subjects in dioramas.
This is basically the set-up for a bunch of sometimes-awkward screwball situations involving Barry's obliviousness, such as when a crazy stalker ex-girlfriend of Tim's shows up, a rich Austrian looking to invest with Tim's firm, as well as the constant "it's not what it looks like"s with Julie.
I'm not going to reveal any of the fellow dinner guests, or any of the situations, except to say that while Paul Rudd and Steve Carell are the stars, a lot of scenes are stolen by Jemaine Clement (one half of the New Zealand folk duo Flight of the Conchords) as a pretentious-sounding but really weird artist, as well as Barry's IRS boss: an equally-eccentric Zach Galifianakis.
This movie depends on one thing: whether or not you feel that Barry is a pitiful man. The secret to this is Carell's acting. Carell plays him with such wide-eyed naivete that makes you wonder whether or not you can pity a man who truly feels no shame. After all, can you really threaten a man by withholding something which he already believes he has?
August 17, 2010
August 13, 2010
Salt - Review
Salt - ***
The obvious jokes about the title of the movie have been made, like "Salt cures the summertime blues" (geddit? Like how salt cures ham! Haw haw) or "Salt spices up a bland summer", so I'll spare you any any more of it.
Salt is a modest, inoffensive, but fun thriller starring Angelina Jolie as a CIA interrogator that is implicated as being a deep-cover double-agent by a Russian defector. The Russian's story is mostly bogus, until he name-drops Salt as being said agent, who will start World War III by assassinating the Russian president during his visit to New York. She is immediately detained by her immediate superior (Chiwetel Ejiofor), but her company partner Ted (Liev Schreiber) tries to protect her. Unfortunately, Salt is too smart for them and escapes. But why? If she's innocent, then surely they can just hold on to her until this blows over.
Unfortunately, she's married. And she's been an agent long enough to know that when an active agent is being burned by an enemy, then the enemy is using that to discredit and destroy the agent's whole life. Including Mike, her husband (August Diehl, who you may remember as Major Hellstrom from Inglourious Basterds. Y'know, the officer during the 20 questions game in the bar?). She fears for his life, and escapes to find him when she can't get in touch with him.
But enough about the plot. It's a standard thriller plot that sounds like it's one step removed by so-called "terror babies," only that these kids are Russian. The plot gives us enough to understand what's going on, and keep us interested with the whys.
The action is what's fun. A lot of viewers complain about movies that can't seem to use a tripod or keep from cutting every second. Well, this movie does these people proud. Salt works well enough as a thriller for the simple reason that the action is easy to follow. There's not much else I can say. It's not a deep thriller, and the pacing is a bit weird at times, but the movie delivers some earnest action and a surface-deep plot that gives you enough to follow along without a lot of exposition.
The obvious jokes about the title of the movie have been made, like "Salt cures the summertime blues" (geddit? Like how salt cures ham! Haw haw) or "Salt spices up a bland summer", so I'll spare you any any more of it.
Salt is a modest, inoffensive, but fun thriller starring Angelina Jolie as a CIA interrogator that is implicated as being a deep-cover double-agent by a Russian defector. The Russian's story is mostly bogus, until he name-drops Salt as being said agent, who will start World War III by assassinating the Russian president during his visit to New York. She is immediately detained by her immediate superior (Chiwetel Ejiofor), but her company partner Ted (Liev Schreiber) tries to protect her. Unfortunately, Salt is too smart for them and escapes. But why? If she's innocent, then surely they can just hold on to her until this blows over.
Unfortunately, she's married. And she's been an agent long enough to know that when an active agent is being burned by an enemy, then the enemy is using that to discredit and destroy the agent's whole life. Including Mike, her husband (August Diehl, who you may remember as Major Hellstrom from Inglourious Basterds. Y'know, the officer during the 20 questions game in the bar?). She fears for his life, and escapes to find him when she can't get in touch with him.
But enough about the plot. It's a standard thriller plot that sounds like it's one step removed by so-called "terror babies," only that these kids are Russian. The plot gives us enough to understand what's going on, and keep us interested with the whys.
The action is what's fun. A lot of viewers complain about movies that can't seem to use a tripod or keep from cutting every second. Well, this movie does these people proud. Salt works well enough as a thriller for the simple reason that the action is easy to follow. There's not much else I can say. It's not a deep thriller, and the pacing is a bit weird at times, but the movie delivers some earnest action and a surface-deep plot that gives you enough to follow along without a lot of exposition.
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