Dinner for Schmucks

Starring: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement, Stephanie Szostak, Lucy Punch, Bruce Greenwood, Ron Livingston, Jeff Dunham
Directed by: Jay Roach
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
2010

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A businessman (Paul Rudd) has the opportunity of a lifetime- to finally get the promotion he's so badly wanted. All he has to do is to find a total schmuck to bring to a dinner with his bosses so they can make fun of him. He finds the perfect person (Steve Carell), but he proves to be more difficult to handle than he imagined.

Review:

Tim: What can I say about Dinner for Schmucks? I'm struggling a bit, to be honest. From the first moment I heard about this movie, I figured it would be bad. I wonder if anyone actually believed wholeheartedly that this would be a great movie? It just seemed so unbelievably stupid. And, after watching, I can confirm that yes, this is a stupid movie. However, it's not quite as bad as I expected.

The reason I didn't hate this movie more is because of the performance of Steve Carell. I like Carell, but I do get tired of his performances on occasion. That's not true here. He plays the biggest "schmuck" you can imagine, but his portrayal is fascinating for its complexity. In one moment, he seems like the biggest loser in the world, but there's simultaneously something sweet and innocent about him, too. He makes you want to laugh at him, but also feel bad about laughing. It's a remarkable performance for its subtlety. His character is easily the most important of the film, and he nails it. This is one of Carell's best performances. He could have made this character a caricature, but instead, makes him a complex, surprisingly believable and empathetic person.

Unfortunately, Carell is caught up in a fairly unfunny movie that reeks of unoriginality. I just didn't laugh very much at all. The movie certainly throws a lot of jokes at the audience, but it's surprising how few actually stick. There are scenes that go on way too long without generating any laughs. There's uncomfortably awkward scenes that serve no real purpose. The whole thing's just so unbelievable. I was impressed with Carell and did laugh at the occasional joke, but the movie as a whole was pretty bad. It also almost completely falls apart at the end.

While I can't claim to have enjoyed this movie, I'm still just so impressed with Carell. I thought he was foolish for taking a role like this, but he won me over. I didn't love Paul Rudd, but he delivers his typically decent performance. Rudd and Carell do work very well together. I genuinely enjoyed watching them.

So, I went into this movie fearing for the worst. Luckily, it's not as bad as it first appeared. Unfortunately, it's not all that good, either. It's a stupid, childish, juvenile movie that is far too short on real laughs. And yet, it gives Carell the opportunity to create an memorable, occasionally amazing character. For that, I am thankful.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The 40 Year-Old Virgin; I Love You, Man; Role Models, Date Night