Waiting...

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Anna Faris, Justin Long, David Koechner, Chi McBride, Luis Guzman, Dane Cook
Directed by: Rob McKittrick
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
2005

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Follows the story of a restaurant's staff as they struggle to remain optimistic about their jobs and keep their customers (relatively) happy.

Review:

Tim: I actually liked this movie more than I thought I would. One of the greatest qualities in that this film really makes you feel like you jumped right into the middle of a group of people's lives- and you are only seeing a snapshot. It feels like all these characters existed before this movie, and will continue to exist afterwards. Too many movies feel like they begin and end with the start and conclusion of the movie. The characters on screen obviously lived before the movie, but that is all forgotten for the moment. This movie really makes you believe this world exists, outside of the confines of this film. That is terrific filmmaking.

I really like the cast, although typically, I'd penalize the movie for having no characters you can root for. While this is the case, they are so enjoyable to watch, it doesn't really matter. Ryan Reynolds is perfect as the experience, perverted, disillusioned lead. He is always enjoyable to watch, and that is true here. Anna Faris doesn't have much to do, which is a shame. Justin Long is surprisingly enjoyable, and really kept the movie level. I really liked the casting of Chi McBride as a wise mentor figure (who has his own quirks, obviously). Dane Cook is given practically nothing to do. Luis Guzman brings a great deal of humor to the movie. Surprisingly, the entire cast works very well together.

Now, this movie is incredibly gross and disgusting. The scene where the entire cooking staff violates a woman's dinner is absolutely nasty and terrible. I actually had a hard time watching it, and I didn't find it particularly funny. There is also a running gap throughout the movie, where the waiters and cook staff play a game trying to get other people to look at their genitals. Now, this is immature, juvenile, stupid humor (although it made me laugh on a number of occasions). This is not a family movie, and most of the humor would make most people blush. However, this is also a strength of the film, because it really makes you believe this is a real restaurant with jaded, but real people staffing it.

This film does suffer from the typical silly comedy flaws. I won't get into them in much detail, but the movie should have been far funnier. I'd like to focus on the positives. While this isn't a great movie, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Just Friends, Van Wilder, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Scary Movie, Good Luck Chuck