Seen for the first time in February 2013.
"For Your Consideration" is one of Guests stronger efforts along with "Best in Show," and a lot better than the middling "A Mighty Wind." It seems a bit mean-spirited at times, especially the plastic surgery joke, but it takes an easy target, i.e. Hollywood, and pokes some light trivial fun at it. Fred Willard is outstandingly funny and so is the ventriloquist weather girl, but the whole ensemble works pretty well. Unlike, "A Mighty Wind" this film has actual laughs. Grade B+.
Showing posts with label Comedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Comedy. Show all posts
Sunday, February 3, 2013
World's Greatest Dad - Bobcat Goldthwait
Seen for the first time in February 2013.
"World's Greatest Dad," is one of those movies that were it just a little bit different, it would be one of my all time favorite comedies, but that also it's flaws are so significant, that it's not even a near-great comedy, just a pretty good one.
It starts off incredibly strong. Almost all of the laughs in this movie come from the character of Kyle, the son of the main character played by Robin Williams who is a lonely struggling novelist and who otherwise leads a bummed out existence as a high school poetry teacher. Kyle has charisma and hilarious antisocial tendencies which carry the movie. His every utterance and action stand in opposition to certain conformist ideals about how normal people think and behave. He's an obnoxious teenager who loves little more than extreme porn, but his misanthropy has a startling wit that entertains in its shockingness.
Unfortunately the movie kills him off relatively early on, and the film dies with him. Suddenly there's nothing funny left in the movie, just Robin Williams's character sadly exploiting his son's death in moments of human weakness, and tired satire borrowed from "Heathers." Though the indictment of Robin Williams's girlfriend's shallowness and phoniness is brilliant and cutting. On the other hand, when the "gay jock" confides in Robin Williams's character his private emotions, I'm not sure if we are supposed to be laughing at that, and if we are, why? There's a weakness in the film's inability to treat people like genuine people who actually have real feelings (even if they are instigated by fraudulence), rather than completely contemptible and mock-able phonies. This is especially egregious to me when done to high school kids, butterflies in their youth, who will either grow up into good decent people or who maybe won't. But save the vitriol for adults, in my opinion. Satirizing high school kids is like yelling at a kitten. It's fucking stupid. The kids are all right you know?
And then we get to the ending, and it seems they chose to deliver the only ending they could have imagined for this thing. But I wish they were ballsier and went with something more cynical. That would have made for a far better movie in my opinion. Something unexpected. But what this movie is trying to say and be isn't what I want it to say and be at this point, and I can respect that. I can't hate something for not being something that it's not trying to be. I just wish it were. But I get the sense of liberation. That scene is sold well. I just wish this movie was more into delivering cynical laughs than it was in making cheap tired points about phoniness, shallowness, and idiot-spectacle. Grade B.
"World's Greatest Dad," is one of those movies that were it just a little bit different, it would be one of my all time favorite comedies, but that also it's flaws are so significant, that it's not even a near-great comedy, just a pretty good one.
It starts off incredibly strong. Almost all of the laughs in this movie come from the character of Kyle, the son of the main character played by Robin Williams who is a lonely struggling novelist and who otherwise leads a bummed out existence as a high school poetry teacher. Kyle has charisma and hilarious antisocial tendencies which carry the movie. His every utterance and action stand in opposition to certain conformist ideals about how normal people think and behave. He's an obnoxious teenager who loves little more than extreme porn, but his misanthropy has a startling wit that entertains in its shockingness.
Unfortunately the movie kills him off relatively early on, and the film dies with him. Suddenly there's nothing funny left in the movie, just Robin Williams's character sadly exploiting his son's death in moments of human weakness, and tired satire borrowed from "Heathers." Though the indictment of Robin Williams's girlfriend's shallowness and phoniness is brilliant and cutting. On the other hand, when the "gay jock" confides in Robin Williams's character his private emotions, I'm not sure if we are supposed to be laughing at that, and if we are, why? There's a weakness in the film's inability to treat people like genuine people who actually have real feelings (even if they are instigated by fraudulence), rather than completely contemptible and mock-able phonies. This is especially egregious to me when done to high school kids, butterflies in their youth, who will either grow up into good decent people or who maybe won't. But save the vitriol for adults, in my opinion. Satirizing high school kids is like yelling at a kitten. It's fucking stupid. The kids are all right you know?
And then we get to the ending, and it seems they chose to deliver the only ending they could have imagined for this thing. But I wish they were ballsier and went with something more cynical. That would have made for a far better movie in my opinion. Something unexpected. But what this movie is trying to say and be isn't what I want it to say and be at this point, and I can respect that. I can't hate something for not being something that it's not trying to be. I just wish it were. But I get the sense of liberation. That scene is sold well. I just wish this movie was more into delivering cynical laughs than it was in making cheap tired points about phoniness, shallowness, and idiot-spectacle. Grade B.
Friday, January 25, 2013
The Wrong Guy
Seen for the first time in January 2013.
"The Wrong Guy" is a very funny, forgotten little gem of a movie. It starts off kind of slow and slowly turns into a hilarious comic masterpiece. It's a very silly movie about a guy who thinks he's wanted by the police for a murder he didn't commit, but thanks to hidden cameras is known to be innocent. The chief investigator on the case steals the show with his lazy indifference to finding the murderer and use of the investigation to feed his appetite expensive meals, women and entertainment.
Dave Foley gives such a great comedic performance, I'm in hindsight surprised he never became a bigger star and that this movie is relatively unknown. It holds up well with it's contemporaries like "There's Something About Mary," and "Happy Gilmore." Though in terms of humor, it's probably more similar to "Magruber" or one of Will Ferrell's stronger sillier efforts. With a touch of the amateur zaniness of Tim and Eric.
Maybe my favorite bit is the car ride with the "no bullet theory" guy, but this thing is packed with subtle, and clever little jokes as well. Like Foley's delivery of the line "Well I guess Agent uh 10 of that elite thing you were talking about has finally met his match." After watching this, I really can't figure out why Dave Foley isn't as big as Ben Stiller or John C. Reilly. Grade A.
"The Wrong Guy" is a very funny, forgotten little gem of a movie. It starts off kind of slow and slowly turns into a hilarious comic masterpiece. It's a very silly movie about a guy who thinks he's wanted by the police for a murder he didn't commit, but thanks to hidden cameras is known to be innocent. The chief investigator on the case steals the show with his lazy indifference to finding the murderer and use of the investigation to feed his appetite expensive meals, women and entertainment.
Dave Foley gives such a great comedic performance, I'm in hindsight surprised he never became a bigger star and that this movie is relatively unknown. It holds up well with it's contemporaries like "There's Something About Mary," and "Happy Gilmore." Though in terms of humor, it's probably more similar to "Magruber" or one of Will Ferrell's stronger sillier efforts. With a touch of the amateur zaniness of Tim and Eric.
Maybe my favorite bit is the car ride with the "no bullet theory" guy, but this thing is packed with subtle, and clever little jokes as well. Like Foley's delivery of the line "Well I guess Agent uh 10 of that elite thing you were talking about has finally met his match." After watching this, I really can't figure out why Dave Foley isn't as big as Ben Stiller or John C. Reilly. Grade A.
Friday, August 24, 2012
The Campaign
Seen in the theater for the first time in August 2012.
I did not like this as much as I expected to. There were some very funny moments with big belly laughs. The campaign ads and debates were some of the funniest stuff. But there was a lot of pandering clunky humor as well, and some overall poorly executed comedy.
Specifically, the bit with the lords prayer went on too long and wasn’t that funny to me. The big trailer moments like Will Ferrell punching the baby also felt forced and contrived. The jokes with the Asian maid ended up botched in execution. Her speaking in an old southern black lady accent was hilarious. Her explanation for that accent and her righteousness was not. It was embarrassing. Not funny. Same with her service of the subpoena at the end. By the time she opens the door the audience knows it is going to be her speaking with the crude mexican accent, and the subsequent righteousness was just cringe-worthy.
There was a lot of good too, however. Dylan McDermott was great. Just an unexpected and superb comedic performance from that guy. Possibly funnier than either Ferrell or Galifinackis. The leads were also great and all of the major supporting characters were perfect. I really liked the lead villains being played the same as the lead villains from Trading Places as well.
Overall though, there were too many uncomfortable, corny, righteous moments. I don’t think political views mix with comedy too well, even political views I agree with. I also think straight up didactic righteousness also does not mix with comedy well. The Candidate had too much of both. I feel like it was close to an amazing movie but for these seriously tone-destroying missteps. Grade B-.
I did not like this as much as I expected to. There were some very funny moments with big belly laughs. The campaign ads and debates were some of the funniest stuff. But there was a lot of pandering clunky humor as well, and some overall poorly executed comedy.
Specifically, the bit with the lords prayer went on too long and wasn’t that funny to me. The big trailer moments like Will Ferrell punching the baby also felt forced and contrived. The jokes with the Asian maid ended up botched in execution. Her speaking in an old southern black lady accent was hilarious. Her explanation for that accent and her righteousness was not. It was embarrassing. Not funny. Same with her service of the subpoena at the end. By the time she opens the door the audience knows it is going to be her speaking with the crude mexican accent, and the subsequent righteousness was just cringe-worthy.
There was a lot of good too, however. Dylan McDermott was great. Just an unexpected and superb comedic performance from that guy. Possibly funnier than either Ferrell or Galifinackis. The leads were also great and all of the major supporting characters were perfect. I really liked the lead villains being played the same as the lead villains from Trading Places as well.
Overall though, there were too many uncomfortable, corny, righteous moments. I don’t think political views mix with comedy too well, even political views I agree with. I also think straight up didactic righteousness also does not mix with comedy well. The Candidate had too much of both. I feel like it was close to an amazing movie but for these seriously tone-destroying missteps. Grade B-.
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