This Dinner Filled Me With Laughter
What is a schmuck? Who is a schmuck?
Tim (Paul Rudd) is looking for a promotion. The person in the office he wants has been shown the door, and when his bright idea gets him a sneak peek at what could be his, he immediately falls for the idea.
Before the promotion, his boss invites him to a very special dinner. Every one of the senior level personnel brings a guest and the boss will pick the “winner” (the best guest for the evening). Despite telling these guests that they are all winners, and special; they are really looking for the biggest idiots.
Tim just happens to bump into Barry (Steve Carell) on the street, literally! When he finds out that Barry’s hobby is turning mice into beautiful scenes. This man could be just who Tim is looking for. With only one day until the dinner, it looks like the perfect solution.
Over the period of a bit over 24 hours Tim is transformed from someone who wants to fit in, to someone who is losing his girlfriend, to someone who starts to question what “fitting in” really is. Has Tim lost everything or has he simply gained a new friend in Barry?
Uneasy laughter is the name of the game in this film, but that’s not a bad thing. Carell is amazing in his physical mannerisms. The look of innocence that he displays sells his role all the more. You believe that he is as genuine of a person as anyone you have ever met.
Rudd is the perfect straight man to play against the Carell antics. His ability to examine a moral dilemma that is faced in life on a daily bases resonates with the comedic touch.
Jemaine Clement will have you laughing at his modern artist character and Zach Galifanakis is establishing himself as a go to comedic actor. I was even surprised at performance of Stephanie Szostak as Rudd’s girlfriend; although she seemed underutilized it was a fresh addition to the cast.
The nice thing about the script is that the film never truly disparages the individuals for laughs. It pokes fun at the situations and the comedy of errors it took to get there. While the dinner is the payoff in the third act, the film really examines relationships that can be made or broken in the blink of an eye.
Maybe, I too am a schmuck. Or maybe I just like to hang around with schumcks. But this dinner filled me with laughter – I can’t wait for dessert!
P.S. – Stay through the credits for a bonus scene…let’s just say there is one final mouse on display!
B
Dinner for Schmucks
Columbia Pictures
Director: Jay Roach
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement, Stephanie Szostak
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of crude and sexual content, some partial nudity and language.
Runtime: 110 minutes.
What is a schmuck? Who is a schmuck?
Tim (Paul Rudd) is looking for a promotion. The person in the office he wants has been shown the door, and when his bright idea gets him a sneak peek at what could be his, he immediately falls for the idea.
Before the promotion, his boss invites him to a very special dinner. Every one of the senior level personnel brings a guest and the boss will pick the “winner” (the best guest for the evening). Despite telling these guests that they are all winners, and special; they are really looking for the biggest idiots.
Tim just happens to bump into Barry (Steve Carell) on the street, literally! When he finds out that Barry’s hobby is turning mice into beautiful scenes. This man could be just who Tim is looking for. With only one day until the dinner, it looks like the perfect solution.
Over the period of a bit over 24 hours Tim is transformed from someone who wants to fit in, to someone who is losing his girlfriend, to someone who starts to question what “fitting in” really is. Has Tim lost everything or has he simply gained a new friend in Barry?
Uneasy laughter is the name of the game in this film, but that’s not a bad thing. Carell is amazing in his physical mannerisms. The look of innocence that he displays sells his role all the more. You believe that he is as genuine of a person as anyone you have ever met.
Rudd is the perfect straight man to play against the Carell antics. His ability to examine a moral dilemma that is faced in life on a daily bases resonates with the comedic touch.
Jemaine Clement will have you laughing at his modern artist character and Zach Galifanakis is establishing himself as a go to comedic actor. I was even surprised at performance of Stephanie Szostak as Rudd’s girlfriend; although she seemed underutilized it was a fresh addition to the cast.
The nice thing about the script is that the film never truly disparages the individuals for laughs. It pokes fun at the situations and the comedy of errors it took to get there. While the dinner is the payoff in the third act, the film really examines relationships that can be made or broken in the blink of an eye.
Maybe, I too am a schmuck. Or maybe I just like to hang around with schumcks. But this dinner filled me with laughter – I can’t wait for dessert!
P.S. – Stay through the credits for a bonus scene…let’s just say there is one final mouse on display!
B
Dinner for Schmucks
Columbia Pictures
Director: Jay Roach
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement, Stephanie Szostak
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of crude and sexual content, some partial nudity and language.
Runtime: 110 minutes.
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