Dinner for Schmucks
By Nick Manteris · 1 Comments · Leave a Comment
Steve Carell and Paul Rudd star in Dinner for Schmucks, a comedy directed by Jay Roach (Meet the Parents, Austin Powers) and based on a French movie that was based on a French play. The basic premise revolves around the idea of inviting people to a dinner to make fun of them.
Tim (Paul Rudd) works on the sixth floor and desperately wants to move up to the seventh, but his promotion depends on the person that he brings to one of the company’s regular “dinner for idiots.” Then he meets Barry in a chance encounter on the street. Barry (Steve Carell) collects dead mice, which he then dresses up in tiny human clothes and photographs in various dioramas. (The opening scene shows some of his creations… and it’s one of the cutest sequences ever captured on film.) The mice aren’t just a gimmick though, Barry’s hobby a necessary component of the story and a great addition that wasn’t in the original version. I thought that maybe the dinner in Dinner for Schmucks would be the catalyst that propelled the story forward, but it actually occurs near the end of the movie, providing a setting for the climax. The mice make an appearance at the dinner as well, and, without them, I don’t think the story would have had any impact whatsoever.
- Score
- 7/10
In the laugh department, Dinner for Schmucks is comparable with Hot Tub Time Machine and Get Him To The Greek, but it's not quite in the Hangover or Tropic Thunder category. I found it to be funnier than the recent offerings from the two main actors: I Love You, Man and Role Models from Rudd or Date Night from Carell. On another note, this movie differs from all of these others because it has heart… and even though there are some inconsistencies, the underlying message is so sweet and sincere that it doesn’t matter. So, if you can appreciate little dead mice dressed up like people, then I don’t have any problems at all recommending this film.
Hilarious movie
This movie was hilarious in my opinion. Steve Carell may not be everyone's favorite actor, but I love his awkward dry humor. The best news is that ‘Dinner for Schmucks’ is finally airing on Cinemax. Thanks to Nick Manteris for the review.
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 08:51 · Ben