In the wildly anticipated reunion between Steve Carell and Paul Rudd (since appearing together in 40-Year Old Virgin and Anchorman), director Jay Roach’s (Meet the Parents) remake of Francis Veber’s play, The Dinner Game, is jam-packed with some of the funniest men and women in comedy today. The supporting cast almost overshadows the main characters and includes The Hangover’s Zach Galifianakis, Flight of the Conchords‘ Jemaine Clement and Kristen Schaal, and Little Britain’s David Walliams.
Tim (Rudd) is an aspiring associate at his private equity firm, hoping to be promoted so that he can impress his art curator girlfriend Julie (with the hope that she’ll finally say yes after turning down several of his proposal attempts). Things take a decidedly interesting turn when the head of his firm invites him to a monthly dinner he hosts (deceptively called “Dinner for Winners”).
Nothing out of the ordinary—yet. Tim is then apprised of the fact that each attendee is to invite a special guest, the more stupid the guest, the better, as the person who brings the most absurd guest will win a promotion.
On his way home from work that day, he literally hits Barry (Carell), an IRS worker with a penchant for mice taxidermy, with his Porsche. Following this chance encounter, Barry quickly tries to ingratiate himself to Tim, and in the process of doing so, wrecks Tim’s life like a bull in a china shop.
Will Tim bring Barry to the dinner and will he ultimately win his promotion by doing so? I won’t ruin it for you, but the more important and entertaining question is how the two ultimately develop an unlikely bromance. It was refreshing to see a comedy that actually had heart and to an extent, morality, which is so rare these days. Wrapped between side-splitting humor and pointed satire directed at the financiers, are real-life issues with which we can all identify. Insecurity about your career and your significant other’s faithfulness, loyalty to a friend, choosing between the easy route versus the more difficult but moral path, and more.
Luckily for the audience, Dinner with Schmucks balances perfectly these serious life issues with plenty, and I mean, PLENTY of forget-your-woes laughter, the kind that you feel in your cheeks and abdomen muscles for days to come.
While Carell and Rudd dazzle with their charm, humor, and on-screen “bromantic chemistry,” I have to admit the performances by HBO stars Jemaine Clement in the role of wildlife-obsessed artist Kieran and David Walliams as wealthy Swissman Mueller, alone is worth the price of admission. That, and of course, Zach Galifianakis’s hysterical portrayal of IRS tax boss and mind manipulator Therman.
If you’re looking for 40-Year Old Virgin part deux, you’ll be sorely disappointed. However, if you’re in the mood for laughter and entertainment by some of Hollywood’s most comically gifted actors, Dinner with Schmucks will whet your appetite.
[etRating value=“ 3”]
Tim (Rudd) is an aspiring associate at his private equity firm, hoping to be promoted so that he can impress his art curator girlfriend Julie (with the hope that she’ll finally say yes after turning down several of his proposal attempts). Things take a decidedly interesting turn when the head of his firm invites him to a monthly dinner he hosts (deceptively called “Dinner for Winners”).
Nothing out of the ordinary—yet. Tim is then apprised of the fact that each attendee is to invite a special guest, the more stupid the guest, the better, as the person who brings the most absurd guest will win a promotion.
On his way home from work that day, he literally hits Barry (Carell), an IRS worker with a penchant for mice taxidermy, with his Porsche. Following this chance encounter, Barry quickly tries to ingratiate himself to Tim, and in the process of doing so, wrecks Tim’s life like a bull in a china shop.
Will Tim bring Barry to the dinner and will he ultimately win his promotion by doing so? I won’t ruin it for you, but the more important and entertaining question is how the two ultimately develop an unlikely bromance. It was refreshing to see a comedy that actually had heart and to an extent, morality, which is so rare these days. Wrapped between side-splitting humor and pointed satire directed at the financiers, are real-life issues with which we can all identify. Insecurity about your career and your significant other’s faithfulness, loyalty to a friend, choosing between the easy route versus the more difficult but moral path, and more.
Luckily for the audience, Dinner with Schmucks balances perfectly these serious life issues with plenty, and I mean, PLENTY of forget-your-woes laughter, the kind that you feel in your cheeks and abdomen muscles for days to come.
While Carell and Rudd dazzle with their charm, humor, and on-screen “bromantic chemistry,” I have to admit the performances by HBO stars Jemaine Clement in the role of wildlife-obsessed artist Kieran and David Walliams as wealthy Swissman Mueller, alone is worth the price of admission. That, and of course, Zach Galifianakis’s hysterical portrayal of IRS tax boss and mind manipulator Therman.
If you’re looking for 40-Year Old Virgin part deux, you’ll be sorely disappointed. However, if you’re in the mood for laughter and entertainment by some of Hollywood’s most comically gifted actors, Dinner with Schmucks will whet your appetite.
[etRating value=“ 3”]
