The Whole Nine Yards

Starring: Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Rosanna Arquette, Michael Clarke Duncan, Amanda Peet, Natasha Henstridge, Kevin Pollak, Harlan Williams
Directed: Jonathan Lynn
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
2000

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: A dentist (Matthew Perry) is shocked when an infamous hitman (Bruce Willis) moves in next door. When his wife (Rosanna Arquette) suggests he alert the mob as to the hitman's whereabouts, his life suddenly changes.


Review:

Tim: I have to say, I'm surprised by just how much I liked The Whole Nine Yards. The film surpassed most of my expectations. It's a funny, entertaining, surprising little film that I thoroughly enjoyed watching. It's a movie that I really had fun watching. That does not always happen. While I can't claim that this is a great movie, it is an exceptionally well made comedy.

The film is really helped by a fantastic cast, and interesting characters. I don't really like Matthew Perry all that much, and I doubt he will ever have a huge movie career. However, in this film, he is very strong. The character is exactly in his wheelhouse, and he hits all the right notes with his performance. Perry has a tendency to overplay his characters a little bit too much, but he was right on here. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed him as Dr. Oz. Bruce Willis was another terrific casting choice. He can certainly play a hitman believably, but he doesn't really have to do any action scenes here. Willis actually has to be funny, and his comedic timing was impressive. I just love his character of Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski. He is a hitman who has no problem murdering people in cold blood. But, he also has a conscience. He is strictly anti-divorce. It's a fun contradiction, and Willis plays it perfectly. The Willis-Perry team worked surprisingly well. Willis is cool, calm, and collected, and Perry is a nervous wreck. They worked well together, and it was quite a lot of fun watching that.

The supporting cast is very strong as well. Kevin Pollak plays his character very over-the-top, but it works. It's just absurd enough to be funny, but not to ridiculous that it ruins the movie. I liked seeing Amanda Peet in an energetic, surprising role. Natasha Henstridge is not exactly a great thespian, but I really had no fault with her work here. I also loved seeing Michael Clarke Duncan in a smaller supporting role. I hate Rosanna Arquette, so she was believable as a despicable, awful character.

One thing I loved about this film is that the story felt fresh. From its setting in Canada (it's a small thing, but it's nice to get out of the US once in a whole), to its twisty, turny, unexpected plot, the whole film kept me on my toes. It never played to the expected or the genre conventions. It tilted those all on their head. The film was surprisingly intelligence, which created some authentically funny moments. It depicted interesting characters, and developed them enough so that rather quickly, we grow to like them. That was hugely important to the overall movie.

The film's ending does feel a little forced, but for the most part, this is a really strong movie. Comedies are notoriously difficult to pull off, but The Whole Nine Yards does an exceptional job of giving us a refreshingly different film. I thoroughly enjoy watching this movie, and I'd consider it among my favorite comedies.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Whole Ten Yards, Fools Rush In, Red