What's so funny!?

The Hangover is the latest blokey comedy to come out that HASN’T been produced by Judd Adaptow. Directed by Todd Phillips, he’s had a lot of practice in this genre of comedy, making Starsky & Hutch (2004), Old School (2003) and Road Trip (2000). The main actors are relatively unknown and the film has been a box-office hit in the US since it’s June release.

The Plot
Doug (Justin Bartha) is getting married and his two best friends Stu (Ed Helms) and Phil (Bradley Cooper) take him out to Las Vegas two days before the big day for the buck’s weekend he’ll never forget. Along for the ride is Doug’s brother-in-law-to-be, Alan (Zach Galifianakis), who is a very odd man. Nonetheless the boys go out and have a hell of a night, but unfortunately, none of them can remember a thing and they can’t find the groom-to-be. All the evidence they have is a baby, a tiger in the bathroom and Stu’s missing tooth.

The Review
This film is basically a comedy whodunit where our characters slowly piece together what happened to Doug as they come across one clue after another, the next clue more outlandish than the last.

The city of Las Vegas itself should get a film credit. America’s playground is really the only place where such an insane storyline could possibly happen, giving the boys plenty of room for blokey comedy, strippers, gross nudity, alcohol, drug-taking and gambling.

The plot itself unfurls nicely with each clue, however outlandish, leading back into the overall storyline. As with any comedy of this type it’s about boys getting together, getting over their own shortcomings and bonding. There are plenty of gags and one-liners throughout the piece with a strong rapport between the three characters and cameos including Heather Graham and Mike Tyson.

Overall, this is one for the boys, but is funnier than many of the releases lately which have a sameness about them. As long as you’re happy with blokey gags, this one is the one for you.

Highlight – The Rainman sequence!

Rating: 7/10

Out now!

I love you, man is the new bromantic comedy from writer/director John Hamburg, who was responsible for Along came Polly, Zoolander and Meet the Fockers/Parents films. It stars Paul Rudd (Knocked Up, 40 Year-old Virgin, Role Models) and Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, How I met your mother) and marks their third collaboration.

The Plot
Peter Klaven (Rudd) is a successful but shy real estate agent, who at the start of the film gets engaged to his girlfriend Zooey. While she has her two best friends to share the good news with, Peter realises that he doesn’t have anyone to share it with that is male, and more importantly no-one that could be his best man. He goes on a quest to find a best man and after a number of dead-ends, stumbles upon Sydney Fife (Segel) at an open house. Could it be true platonic male love?

The Review
I looked forward to this film, with Paul Rudd, who is a comedic everyman. Perhaps he will rise to the dizzying heights of the current everyman, Tom Hanks, who also started in comedy so many years ago. I have also been impressed by Jason Segel from Forgetting Sarah Marshall and How I met your mother. The pair do have a genuine chemistry and the scenes where they are rocking out to RUSH are hilarious. In an interview Segel claims he based his character on English comedian, Russell Brand (who worked with him on Forgetting Sarah Marshall), using his ‘take it or leave it’ attitude to heart.

The film moves along quickly, setting up the dynamics of the relationships between Zooey and her friends and contrasting them to Peter’s lack of male friends. Adam Sandberg (from SNL and The Lonely Island) is a nice addition as Peter’s younger gay brother, giving him advice on meeting men and setting him up for the humourous ‘date’ scenes. Once Sydney hits the screen it is their chemistry that helps the film along, as well as the odd choice of having Lou Ferrignou’s (of Incredible Hulk fame – yes, THAT Lou Ferrignou) house to sell.

Overall, it is the screen chemistry between Rudd and Segel that pushes this film along and makes their oddball scenes believable and even charming. As an examination of developing male relationships once you’ve left university, it is an enjoyable film with a lot of heart. The writing is sharp and good enough to even get a few laughs out of the supporting cast, such as the constantly bickering couple who are friends with Zooey.

Rating: 7/10

Out now!

Role Models is the new film about men behaving like immature juveniles – and loving it, mostly. It stars Paul Rudd (Knocked Up), Seann William Scott (Stifler from American Pie films), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin from Superbad), Bobb'e J. Thompson, and Elizabeth Banks (Definitely, Maybe and in the upcoming Zack and Miri make a porno). The film was directed by actor/writer David Wain in what appears to be his first feature film. He has worked on TV for many years, most notably as a writer on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

The plot:
Danny (Rudd) and Wheeler (William Scott) are two men of opposites, who, go from school to school, peddling a Red Bull type of drink (which by no coincidence is named Minotaur). After a comic series of events, the pair end up under arrest and are forced to work 150 hours community service to escape prison-time. They are recruited into Sturdy Wings (a program like Big Brothers) and are paired with the two most troubled kids, Augie (Mintz-Plasse) and Ronnie (Thompson). Can they stick the 150 hours out? Will they become responsible adults?

The review:
The film premise is nothing new, harking back to the days of Adam Sandler in Big Daddy. This film has a Judd Adaptow feel (director of Knocked Up, Superbad) with the premise of men who refuse to grow up and Paul Rudd who is a regular actor in Adaptow’s films.

A buddy film relies on the strength of the pair as the leads. The film makes great use of the contrasting comic-styles of Rudd with dry sarcastic delivery and Seann William Scott’s physical comedy (probably best remembered as Stifler from the American Pie films – and has never left that role behind). Rudd, a writer for the movie was keen on making the pair opposites, where they originally were very similar – a very good decision. Equally important was the casting of the young characters, with Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad) who plays the lovable nerd with a passion from Live Action Roleplaying and Bobb’e J Thompson, who is likened to a young Eddie Murphy and almost steals this film.

The film itself moves at a quick pace, setting up the relationship between the pair and their dilemmas, Danny is in his 30s, hates his job and life, while all Wheeler cares about is how much skirt he can get. The film really gets going when they meet the boys and quickly see how far both are out of their depth and what both resort to in order to swim. This provides the greatest comic moments, which I think guys will find the funniest - ranging from brutal physical comedy, nudity and good old fashioned cussing. Scenes like Wheeler teaching his charge the fundamentals of KISS lyrics or of cleavage-watching (with Zen-like mastery) are done with comic charm.

Overall, the film is one of the better Adaptow-ish films, with warmth coming into the film as the pair go to great lengths for their ‘littles’ and naturally, find out what is really important in life.

7/10

Ghost Town is the new film starring UK comedian Rick Gervais, Greg Kinnear and Tea Leoni. This is the first comedy directed by writer/producer/director, David Koepp. Koepp has been involved with writing some great films such as Carlito’s Way, Jurrasic Park, Panic Room, The Secret Window and the lastest Indiana Jones film. He has also directed tense thrillers such as The Secret Window & Stir of Echoes.

The Plot:
Bertram Pincus (Gervais) is a dentist, who really doesn’t like people. However, during a medical procedure he dies for a few minutes. Suddenly he finds he can see dead people who need him to help them complete their unfinished business. In particular, Frank (Kinnear) pesters him into breaking up the upcoming marriage of his widow Gwen (Leoni).

The Review:
The film is definitely not a Ricky Gervais production, which is not in itself a bad thing. Gervais is known as a great comedian for his series The Office and Extras as well as some successful stand up DVDs. His brand of humour has often examined social awkwardness and inappropriateness and I was bracing myself for such elements in this film. But this is a nicely scripted romantic comedy which has more heart than I expected, and impressed Gervais so much that it’s the first leading role he has chosen. The script keeps a tight rein on Gervais, but there are moments when he is allowed to flourish, adding great humour to scenes that would have suffered in the hands of a lesser comedian. Leoni adds nicely to the film and is a film-comedienne that has been sorely underutilised in the past.

Overall the film is not a laugh-fest, but more of a classic romantic comedy where the laughs are secondary to the story and leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling at the end. A great date film.

Rating: 7/10

Big Stan is the new feature film, starring and directed by Rob Schneider in his first time in the director’s chair. In Australia recently, promoting this new film he felt it was time to separate himself from his friend Adam Sandler’s production company Happy Madison Productions who had been responsible for his previous films.

The film has received some praise with Schneider’s character development and the fact that he has not always gone in with the easy gags, something that has characterized his previous films. He has also drawn some criticism with his direction, being drawn out in the first half of the film. Why don’t you see it and let me know what you think!

The Plot [From Wikipedia]
A real estate con artist named Stan Minton (Rob Schneider) panics when he learns that he's going to prison for fraud. Stan's fear of jailhouse rape leads him to hire a mysterious guru (David Carradine) who helps transform him into a creative martial-arts expert. After his incarceration, Stan uses his newfound skills to intimidate his fellow prisoners. He gains their respect, and eventually becomes their leader, bringing peace and harmony to the prison yard. But the corrupt warden has an elaborate plan that could help him turn a profit by turning the prison into a war zone, and Stan is the only thing standing in the way.

Out now!

Four Holidays (US Title: Four Christmases) looks like the first of the Christmas offerings this year. You may have started to hear those dreaded Christmas jingles, but we have to face it - Christmas is upon us!

Four Holidays stars Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. Vaughn has had success with his comedies, notably with Wedding Crashers and The Break Up while Witherspoon has shown her comedy clout with Legally Blonde and it's sequel. The film is filled out with a great cast, including Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, John Voight and Mary Steenburgen. This is the first feature film by Seth Gordon.

The plot [from the website]:
No one enjoys the holidays more than Brad and Kate.
Every December 25th, this happily unmarried, upscale San Francisco couple embark on a holiday tradition they have shared every year since they met—ditching their crazy families for a relaxing, fun-filled vacation in some sunny exotic locale.

There, sipping margaritas by the pool, they toast the season, knowing they have once again avoided the chaos and emotional fallout of their four respective households: divorced parents, squabbling siblings, out-of-control kids and all the simmering resentments and awkward moments that are the hallmarks of every family Christmas.

But not this year.

Out December 4

If you're into Australian comedy, you would have no doubt heard of Tim Minchin. In his first show Dark Side won awards in the Melbourne and Edinburgh comedy festivals and his 2006 show So Rock won the Barry, which is the Melbourne Comedy Festival's top prize.

Rock n Roll Nerd is a documentary filmed over three years focusing on the eventual rise of Tim, the shows and dealing with success. It was part of the Melbourne International Film Festival this year and has a small screening in Australia over October and November.

From the website:
Filmed over 3 years, ROCK N ROLL NERD is an intimate tale that charts Tim Minchin’s meteoric rise from obscurity to celebrity. Capturing every moment of Tim’s first frenzied break onto the comedy scene the documentary weaves never-before-seen performance footage, backstage antics, home footage and candid interviews into a funny and deeply personal story of love and ambition.

Out Now at selected cinemas!

Burn after reading is the new film by the Coen Brothers. It stars an A-list ensemble with George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt. It is the first film that the brothers have written together in 7 years.

The Plot
Osborne Cox (Malkovich) is a CIA analyst who is fired from his job and pens a scathing memoir. His wife Katie (Swinton) is having an affair with Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney). Preparing for divorce from Osborne, Katie copies his personal details from his computer, including his memoir. The disc containing these copies falls into the hands of gym employees Linda (McDormand) and Chad (Pitt) who decide to extort money from Osborne so that Linda can get money for plastic surgery that she feels will reinvent her. Of course, nothing goes to plan and what starts off as something simple gets more and more complicated, with hilarious results.

The Review
The Coen brothers are skilled at crafting screwy characters and this film is populated by many of them. The characters for Clooney, Pitt, McDormand and Malcovich were written with them in mind, and it may be a compliment or an insult as each of them are self-involved, pompous idiots (but in a good way). Pitt clearly revels in his role as the clueless Chad who is far out of his depth in their extortion attempt.

The plot is a purposively complex and belongs to that brand of comedy where the convoluted plot allows for things to get messier and messier until you don’t know how it will resolve itself. The comedy is often subtle with a dark nasty edge, reminding me of Being John Malkovich and the other Coen Brothers film, Intolerable Cruelty. The film can also be called a satire of spy films where the characters are working very hard for essentially nothing. A nice smaller role is performed by JK Simmons (Peter Parker’s boss in Spiderman) as the CIA Superior who is trying to make sense of the convoluted story.

Overall the film is a fine example of Coen Brothers comedy, but not their best work. The filming and plot are tight and the jokes are subtle and quick. However, sometimes the characters feel thinly drawn and can be overblown, but this is a minor criticism.

Rating 6/10

Brennen (Ferrell) and Dale (Reilly) are two 40 year-old men who still live with their parents. These two man-children must come to terms with each other when their parents marry. However, their parents decide that their kids need to grow up so that they can sell the house in one month. Can Brennen and Dale do it? Or will they sabotage their parent’s plans?

The Review

I am a big Will Ferrell film and was slightly worried when both he and John C Reilly were in Australia, on every bit of TV or radio, flogging their new film. As many of you will probably suspect, the more publicity that goes on for a film, the worse it will probably be.

Step Brothers gives Ferrell and Reilly the excuse to act juvenile, and both actors jump into this premise with glee. However, these boyhood antics can wear thin during the 98 minutes of the film. The film does have some amusing moments, I distinctly remember chuckling about 6 times during the film. As the unfortunate parents, screen veterans Mary Steenburgen (Parenthood) and Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) do a fine performance while Adam Scott does his best as evil younger brother Derek.

The main problem is that it is a one-joke film that isn’t near enough to sustain a film. The direction of the film is slack and you definitely get the idea that Adam McKay just doesn’t know when to say ‘cut’. McKay definitely knows what funny is all about, having been a writer for Saturday Night Live and the infinitely better Talledega Nights. However, this film would have been much better as a series of sketches in a comedy half-hour where the jokes would be short and self-contained.

Overall, the film was juvenile, immature and puerile – things that aren’t necessarily bad in a film. But when there is little more to the film than this, then there is a problem.

Rating: 2/10

Highlight: Derek’s frustrated wife Tiffany (Kathryn Hahn), taking a shining to Dale.

However, looking at ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and Facebook, it seems people liked it. Did you? Let me know what you thought.

Ray (Farrell) and Ken (Gleeson) are hitmen for Harry (Fiennes). After a botched job, they are told to hide out in the Belgian city of Bruges until further notice. Ken begins to explore the city as a tourist while Ray can’t stand it. But it seems that Bruges is more than just the best preserved medieval city in Belgium.

See our preview.

The Review

I personally thought that Colin Farrell had comic potential in him. But so far in his career, he has never appeared in a comedy film, although you might call his wig in Alexander comedic.

The city of Bruges is beautifully filmed and the film could essentially be a travel ad for the medieval city. The filming is done through a mixture of steady-cam and hand held, the latter used at various times through the film to enhance the humourous touristy scenes or moments of confusion.

The plot unfolds slowly, with Ray and Ken hiding out after a job for Harry has gone wrong. The pair start-off comedically at odds about their situation in Bruges, but quickly gets to more serious material. The film does well to parallel the tribulations of Ray and Ken with hell and purgatory, giving you the notion that Ray and Ken are paying for the sins of their last job and lifestyle. But the fun really gets going when an American dwarf actor (Jordan Prentice) goes out with the fellas for some blow. Add their very angry boss Harry (Fiennes), an idiotic boyfriend and a surreal euro-trash film into the mix and you get the makings of a comedy which takes elements from Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Sexy Beast.

Overall the film is beautifully filmed and Farrell does a decent job as an Irishman-out-of-water. Fiennes really makes the second half of the film, but there are many deft comedic touches (Americans do cop a serve in this film, both metaphorically and literally) and parallels to hell that allow Ray and Ken to really examine what they have been doing with their lives.

Rating: 7/10

Kate Holbrook (Tina Fey) is a powerful business woman who has always put her career first. In her late 30s, she discovers she can’t have her own children and hires a surrogate (a Baby Mama) to carry her child. The surrogate Angie (Amy Poehler) is far from what Kate expects and she will need all her resourcefulness to get to full-term!

Check out our preview.

The Review

Baby Mama is a buddy comedy. While it may not seem it, it has much in common with films like 48 Hours or even Talledega Nights. What the buddy comedies have in common, whether a buddy cop movie or one that revolves around NASCAR is that the drama of the story is in the conflict of two friends (or at least of two strangers/enemies who become friends). Baby Mama certainly fills this formula with a clash of personalities between – Kate Holbrook (Fey), a powerful business woman in her late 30s and Angie Ostrowski (Poehler) a redneck straight out of a trailer park.

However, Baby Mama barely scratches the surface of this comedy conflict. Buddy films can leave the straight character stranded, in jail, partnerless or even jobless (e.g. The Cable Guy or Planes, Trains & Automobiles). The worst that happens to Kate is that she is late to work one day and gets drunk one night.

Steve Martin makes a reasonable appearance as Kate’s eccentric boss, while Greg Kinnear adds a light touch to the film as the love interest.

Overall, Baby Mama is a lightweight comedy that has some entertaining moments, but falls well short of what could have been achieved with the comedic strength of its cast.

Rating: 3/10

Highlight: An Elmer Fudd-ish prenatal coach.

In Bruges is the new comedy starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes. Set in the tranquil city of Bruges (it’s in Belgium), it is a dark gangster comedy written and directed by playwright Martin McDonagh. It has already received positive reviews and gives Farrell a chance to demonstrate his comic ability, which I think could be put to good use under the right director. Besides, there’s a midget in the film, so that can’t be a bad thing! Get out and see it now!

[From the website]
Academy Award-winning writer/director Martin McDonagh takes audiences on a killingly funny trip In Bruges.

Mr. McDonagh makes his feature directorial debut on the film, from his own original screenplay. His plays (which include The Lieutenant of Inishmore and The Pillowman) have brought him two Olivier Awards and four Tony Award nominations. He wrote and directed Six Shooter, starring Brendan Gleeson, which earned him the 2006 Academy Award for Best Live-Action Short Film.

In Bruges was filmed on location; Bruges (pronounced “broozh”), the most well-preserved medieval city in the whole of Belgium, is a welcoming destination for travelers from all over the world. But for hit man Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson), it could be their final destination; a difficult job has resulted in the pair being ordered right before Christmas by their London boss Harry (two-time Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) to go and cool their heels in the storybook Flemish city for a couple of weeks.

Very much out of place amidst the gothic architecture, canals, and cobbled streets, the two hit men fill their days living the lives of tourists. Ray, still haunted by the bloodshed in London, hates the place, while Ken, even as he keeps a fatherly eye on Ray’s often profanely funny exploits, finds his mind and soul being expanded by the beauty and serenity of the city.

But the longer they stay waiting for Harry’s call, the more surreal their experience becomes, as they find themselves in weird encounters with locals, tourists, violent medieval art, a dwarf American actor (Jordan Prentice) shooting a European art film, Dutch prostitutes, and a potential romance for Ray in the form of Chloe (Clemence Poesy), who may have some dark secrets of her own.

And when the call from Harry does finally come, Ken and Ray’s vacation becomes a life-and-death struggle of darkly comic proportions and surprisingly emotional consequences.

Out now!