Aug. 3, 2010
RUTHERFORD ON FILM: 'Dinner For Schmucks'
A Comedic Banquet of Mistaken Identity Has You Hungering for Seconds
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor
Huntington, WV (HNN) - Leave off the high rolling, substitute wine for liquor, and add role playing instead of boobs.. Erase “Vegas” Try two apartments and one mansion.
Swapping a reliance on visual guffaws for fast talking fools who can turn the usual into the absurd, director Jay (“Meet the Frockers”) Roach serves a sumptuous “Dinner for Schmucks “ It’s anything but a “My Dinner with Andre,” as the guest list expands and the banquet turns zany. Yes, “Schmucks” has a nearly endless gags and shenanigans allowing this on-going relationship mix up to nearly rival 2009’s “Hangover,” for sleeper of the summer.
Easily mistaken for an always laughing dinner theatre mistaken identity romp, a promotion hangs in the balance but a corporate fool’s parade upsets Tim’s (Paul Rudd) would-be fiancé, Julie (Stephanie Szostak). She’s opposed to the executive’s so-called ‘dinner for idiots’ and wants Tim to ditch the gathering. Instead, fate provides a pre-occupied too much texting collision in his Porsche with a be speckled IRS auditor named Barry (Steve Carell) who’s apologetic for rescuing a departed mouse from flattening.
Friendless Barry drops by the apartment an evening early, just as Tim and live-in Julie have fought over the exercise in making fun of dysfunction where a collection of weird people are invited to a mansion to compete for the most quirky. Tim’s back pain allows Barry alone time on the computer during which he invites Darla (Lucky Punch), a stalking ‘ex’ over for saucy role play. The crisis comedy ticks critical when Barry mistakes Julie for Darla.
Having split up his new friend’s relationship, Barry vows to mend the fence assisted by a forgotten cell phone which breeds larger complications.
Seriously, this appetizing 100 minutes of character mayhem unrolls like a five course meal with laughs, claps, howls, lead to losing it situations at the mansion ---- without extraordinary f/x, exotic settings or spilling an ounce of blood.
The character cascade resembles a goofy masquerade party in which half the invitees come in costume and the others dress their finest, hinting at their role as ‘judges’ of an emotional hurtful style of bullying that occurs without the commission of battery. Most of the invitees have a sense of likability, so you tend to bond with them rather than the rich dudes.
Whether the elaborate Porsche demolition derby, Darla’s over the top seductiveness, or the ill-time stand in engagement brunch, you emerge from this “Dinner” filled to bloating. It’s like the filmmakers tossed breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner into one mouthful of smiling hilarity. And you just might go back for seconds.
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RUTHERFORD ON FILM: 'Dinner For Schmucks'
A Comedic Banquet of Mistaken Identity Has You Hungering for Seconds
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor
Huntington, WV (HNN) - Leave off the high rolling, substitute wine for liquor, and add role playing instead of boobs.. Erase “Vegas” Try two apartments and one mansion.
Swapping a reliance on visual guffaws for fast talking fools who can turn the usual into the absurd, director Jay (“Meet the Frockers”) Roach serves a sumptuous “Dinner for Schmucks “ It’s anything but a “My Dinner with Andre,” as the guest list expands and the banquet turns zany. Yes, “Schmucks” has a nearly endless gags and shenanigans allowing this on-going relationship mix up to nearly rival 2009’s “Hangover,” for sleeper of the summer.
Easily mistaken for an always laughing dinner theatre mistaken identity romp, a promotion hangs in the balance but a corporate fool’s parade upsets Tim’s (Paul Rudd) would-be fiancé, Julie (Stephanie Szostak). She’s opposed to the executive’s so-called ‘dinner for idiots’ and wants Tim to ditch the gathering. Instead, fate provides a pre-occupied too much texting collision in his Porsche with a be speckled IRS auditor named Barry (Steve Carell) who’s apologetic for rescuing a departed mouse from flattening.
Friendless Barry drops by the apartment an evening early, just as Tim and live-in Julie have fought over the exercise in making fun of dysfunction where a collection of weird people are invited to a mansion to compete for the most quirky. Tim’s back pain allows Barry alone time on the computer during which he invites Darla (Lucky Punch), a stalking ‘ex’ over for saucy role play. The crisis comedy ticks critical when Barry mistakes Julie for Darla.
Having split up his new friend’s relationship, Barry vows to mend the fence assisted by a forgotten cell phone which breeds larger complications.
Seriously, this appetizing 100 minutes of character mayhem unrolls like a five course meal with laughs, claps, howls, lead to losing it situations at the mansion ---- without extraordinary f/x, exotic settings or spilling an ounce of blood.
The character cascade resembles a goofy masquerade party in which half the invitees come in costume and the others dress their finest, hinting at their role as ‘judges’ of an emotional hurtful style of bullying that occurs without the commission of battery. Most of the invitees have a sense of likability, so you tend to bond with them rather than the rich dudes.
Whether the elaborate Porsche demolition derby, Darla’s over the top seductiveness, or the ill-time stand in engagement brunch, you emerge from this “Dinner” filled to bloating. It’s like the filmmakers tossed breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner into one mouthful of smiling hilarity. And you just might go back for seconds.
Share This Story:
Make HNN Your Homepage (IE Users Only)
