(Long Island, N.Y.) It’s depressing when you find yourself watching a movie that could have been amazing if a different editor had cut it during post-production. As it is, Dinner for Schmucks is a two-hour long movie that would probably have been better served if it clocked in at about one and a half. Maybe even less.
Nonetheless, the latest film starring Steve Carell (two weeks ago I reviewed his excellent animated film, Despicable Me) is still consistently amusing throughout. Yes, towards the end it was really evoking the “how long IS this movie, anyway?” syndrome, but even then, I still found a steady stream of chuckles issuing forth from my person. However, it’s hard to give Dinner for Schmucks a recommendation based just on the fact that it manages to balance lighthearted entertainment and complete boredom alost equally. Luckily, it has a bit more going for it…but remember, folks, a bit ain’t a lot.
Remember that 1991 film Dogfight? No? Well, it was about these guys who had a party where the winner was the one that brought the ugliest date. But one of the guys wasn’t quite as mean as the others, ended up feeling bad, and actually became friends with his dog…er, girl. Dinner for Schmucks is kind of like that; just replace “ugly girl” with “idiot,” and there it is.
Tim Conrad (Paul Rudd) is a fella trying to get ahead in business. After a colleague is axed from his upper-rung gig, Tim makes the big moves in an attempt to get into his cushy corner office. The bosses take notice, and in an attempt to further gauge the up-and-coming
executive, invite him to their annual “Dinner For Winners,” where whoever brings the biggest whacko wins…well, they don’t ever actually say what they win. Bragging rights, I guess.
At first Tim targets an eccentric artist client of his annoying girlfriend, Julie (Stephanie Szostak), but all that is forgotten once he accidentally runs over Barry Speck (Carell) with his Porsche. Turns out Barry is a cross of Carell’s 40 Year-Old Virgin character and a Taxidermist, spending hours stuffing and mounting dead mice
in all sorts of disturbingly cute outfits. Seeing this as his big chance to win the contest, Tim invites the lonely Barry to the “Dinner For Winners,” and Barry accepts. Thus begins the slow, systematic destruction of Tim’s life as the well-meaning (but clearly insane) Barry tries to help out his new friend at every opportunity…with disastrous results.
As Carell might have said in his recent Get Smart remake, Dinner for Schmucks missed the mark “by just that much.” It’s cute, and sustains a mild degree of laughs throughout, which I’d take over a dull flick with maybe or or two big laughs any day. But whoever string the footage together in the editing room…well, they needed to be a bit more ruthless. I mean, just because you filmed it doesn’t mean it should be in the movie. There are entire scenes and characters that could have been removed which would have tightened things up significantly, but as it is, Dinner for Schmucks just kind of plods along for two hours, alternating humor and ennui at every turn.
It’s especially a shame since the leads bring so much to the table. I used to just associate the talented Steve Carell with straight-laced, deadpan humor only, but his recent turns in Despicable Me
and this movie have clearly expanded my view of his skills. The man has a greater range than I thought, both in terms of physical comedy and voice acting.
Paul Rudd makes a near-perfect foil and straight-man for Carell, playing a nice guy forced to do cut-throat things to get the big promotion. The Hangover’s Zach Galifianakis pops up as Carell’s bizarre, mind-controlling boss, and makes the most of his small role. Stephanie Szostak’s Julie was just there to look pretty and generally be annoying, and I’m getting tired of the over-abundance of these types of female roles choking the film industry lately. There are plenty of funny, talented women working in comedy these days who could use a big break (for example, Maria Bamford) and instead they always cast generic model-types who can barely act in the “girlfriend” parts instead. At least Lucy Punch, who played Tim’s crazy stalker, was funny and displayed loads of personality, unlike Szostak, who was a total bore.
Still, despite its problems, I still feel okay about having seen Dinner for Schmucks. It’s uneven, imperfect, and overlong, sure, but it’s also funny and charming at the same time. If you’re a fan of Carell or just looking for something a little different, give it a try.
