Stretch

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Ed Helms, Chris Pine (uncredited), Jessica Alba, Ray Liotta, James Badge Dale, Brooklyn Decker, David Hasselhoff
Directed by: Joe Carnahan
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Comedy, Thriller
2014

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A limo driver (Patrick Wilson) faces an insane night after picking up an eccentric billionaire (Chris Pine).

Review:

Tim: I really wanted to like Joe Carnahan's Stretch. It seemed his Carnahan had a unique vision for this film and everything about the movie just seemed fun. While I enjoyed watching it, it just wasn't nearly as effective as it should have been. This was certainly a worthwhile effort, but the finished product is a bit disappointing.

Patrick Wilson was incredible as Stretch, a down-on-his-luck limo driver who sees a chance at redemption with a rich but eccentric client. Stretch has some big gambling debts to pay. This idea is pretty decent, as it gives his character a compelling reason to go through everything he does throughout the movie. Wilson is likeable, charismatic, yet flawed. It's really a fun, high-energy performance that is worth seeing. I was reminded here how underrated Wilson is as an actor. He always seems to float under the radar, even when he delivers strong performances like the one here.

I loved seeing Chris Pine in a nearly unrecognizable role as this crazy, absurd eccentric billionaire. It's too bad Pine was uncredited, because he makes the movie significantly better. It's ridiculous role, but he plays it with glee. It was great to see him do something outside of his usual roles. He has some true acting talent, so I hope he continues to embrace different roles like this one. Jessica Alba was fine, but she's not a very good actress and that showed. I liked seeing Ray Liotta and David Hasselhoff playing themselves. I've been increasingly impressed with James Badge Dale, and was pleased to see him deliver another strong performance here. As a whole, the cast is really strong.

Carnahan does a good job of telling a crazy story about one out-of-control night. There's so many different antics and unforgettable moments that unfold throughout the film. However, there is a bit of inconsistency in the quality of events. Some are pretty incredible, others are surprisingly dull. The movie seemed to stall out a few times as we had to sit through sequences that just weren't all that interesting. The movie does ask the audience to increasingly suspend disbelief until it got to the point where the whole thing just started to seem silly. The ending of the movie is quite problematic as everything is tied up a little too neatly and conveniently. There's also a bit of a mystery reveal at the end that was laughably predictable. When I first started watching the film, I really liked it and thought I might have stumbled upon a real gem. The movie lost steam through its ups-and-downs and ended in a way that was pretty disappointing. I felt like I worked hard to like Stretch, but it just wasn't as compelling as it needed to be.

In the end, Stretch is a decent film. I loved that Carnahan at least attempted to do something unexpected and unique. However, the film ultimately follows the expected path a bit too much. It was a decent film, but it wasn't what I hoped it would be.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



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