Review: Due Date (2010)

Director Todd Phillips' Due Date stars Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis as two strangers caught up in a situation that neither could have previously anticipated. An edgy soon to be father-Peter Highman (Downey Jr.)- only desires to promptly arrive home in L.A. to his wife (Michelle Monaghan) in time for their child's birth. Little does Peter know that an individual would soon be placed before him. This man's name is Ethan"Tremblay" (Galifianakis), and though his heart is large, he is a walking disaster. From the moment Peter encountered this gentle cataclysm of a man, Ethan began setting down his large array of speedbumps in their trip to L.A. that they have been forced to share together due to Highman's misplacement of his information. Along the extended road to California, this odd couple is forced to form a relationship- whether or not it involves more love than hate is determined by the upcoming events. Yes, we have seen this film before; it was called Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, with a blend of characteristics from Todd Phillips' other films- such as Road Trip. However, Due Date earns a spot on its own map with credit given to strong, talent-fueled performances from Galifianakis and Downey Jr. Though at times being a sucker to trailers portaying too many funny moments of the film, Due Date still managed to extract chuckles from its audience. The film may have been an overall fun trip, yet it did at times try a bit too hard to change gears- leaving the audience confused as whether to laugh or cry. Had it not been for the talented direction of Phillips alongside a stand-up cast, the script of Due Date would have as likely as not fallen short of a theater release. Thanks to its nearly indestructible talent, Due Date earns a strong 21/2 stars.

Reviews from the Vault: The House of the Devil (2009)

Ti West's The House of the Devil is based on true events that take place in the 1980's. The film follows Samantha Hughes (Jocelin Donahue), a sophomore in college in need of extra income to support her near future move to a new house. To raise a bit of money, Samantha agrees to a night of baby-sitting that turns into something she couldn't have imagined. Upon arrival and on the night of the lunar eclipse, things rapidly become eery when she begins to discover that the people dwelling in the house are sadistic cultists. The House of the Devil succeeds where recent horror movies fail in the sense that its not fueled by gore, but by tension. From the first confrontation with Mr. Ulman (Tom Noonan of Manhunter), it is very clear to the viewer that he and his family are nothing less than sadistically wicked. The relief in this is that the film is not driven by the mystery of who's good and who's bad, but by truly authentic tension. Much like firmly gripping horror films of the 1980's, Devil contains a slow build to a deeply chilling finale. It is not necessarily the ending that will haunt your dreams, but everything leading up to the ending. As the viewer watches Samantha go about her night, they can hardly stay in their seats knowing that evil lurkes and not knowing when it will strike. Much like Jaws not showing the beast for the majority of the film, The House of the Devil leaves you almost impatiently awaiting the beast; only this time the beast comes in human form. Donahue and Noonan's top-notch acting along with Ti West's best direction of his young career make this gut-wrenching horror flick worth the watch. I am forced to score The House of the Devil 4 stars due to its pleasingly horrific essence.

Review: Dinner For Schmucks (2010)

Dinner for Schmucks- (Jay Roach's adaptation of the French film, The Dinner Game) stars Steve Carell and Paul Rudd. Schmucks is about Tim (Rudd), a rising executive who has discovered that in order to attain his promotion he must attend a dinner hosted by his CEO that celebrates the stupidity of poor souls (i.e. Carell's character Barry) chaperoned by his boss's inferiors. Torn between the immorality of humiliating an honest man and his desire to advance by any means necessary, Tim must make a tough ethical decision. Having not seen the original French film, I can only guess that either the cast and crew of Schmucks lost the comedy of the original in translation, or there's a major cultural difference interfering. The film seems to be fueled by physical humor, awkwardness, and the implausible stupidity of Carell's character. Not to say the film doesn't have its funny moments. Zach Galifianakis is a saving grace of the film, simply due to his on-screen charisma and facial expressions. This is not enough to save the film from plummeting further and further as the predictably ironic scenes unravel. I don't much care for awkwardness in real life, much less do I like paying to experience it on the big screen to the extent that Schmucks dishes out. Carell's character tends to be more obnoxious than humorous. Having come from the man who brought us Meet the Parents, Borat, and Bruno, I would like to perceive this as a mere speed bump in Roach's directorial career. The film had a phenomenal cast, including Ron Livingston, Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Concords, and David Walliams of Little Britain USA. I must add that although I am not alone on my opinion (Dinner currently has a 50% on RT), I personally know a collection of individuals that loved the film. Although arguably an acquired taste for some, this viewer would feel like a Schmuck if he scored it any more than 2 stars.

DVD Review: Big Fan (2009)

Robert D. Siegel's Big Fan stars Patton Oswalt as Paul Aufiero, a man in his forties working the ticket booth at a coliseum while living with his mother. Paul is also a hopelessly die hard New York Giants fan and practically devotes every waking minute to either thinking about the giants, discussing plays and stats with his friend (Kevin Corrigan), or calling into sports stations. After meeting his all-time favorite player Antoine Bishop, and being brutally beaten by him, Paul is torn between suing or letting it go so Bishop won't miss the season. Big Fan is diverse for actor Patton Oswalt in the sense that it's not a laugh-out-loud comedy. Oswalt electrifies the viewer with his ability to switch gears to a more serious role much like Robin Williams (i.e. One Hour Photo and Insomnia). This film has a truly dark brand of humor if any at all, yet keeps you entertained from start to finish with its one of a kind characters and discrete script. Having already shown us a washed up, near pathetic sports related figure in Siegle's script of The Wrestler (starring Mickey Rourke), one tends to be skeptical of such a similar story written and directed less than a year later. One quickly recognizes the diversity between the two stories and Big Fan's ability to captivate the audience and force them to admire this fan's dedication and passion for the sport. The film's top notch directing, acting, and casting earns it a solid 3 stars in my book and won it the 2009 Sundance Film Festival Breakthrough Director Award for Robert D. Siegel.