Guest blogger Liz Parker is back from an advance screening of "Dinner for Schmucks".
Is this movie laugh out loud funny or just weird?
Let's see what Liz thinks....
The trailer for this movie made it look like it was going to be either hilarious or incredibly stupid. What it ended up being, however, was a mix of the two, and it definitely had some scenes that made the audience laugh hysterically.
Tim (Paul Rudd, "I Love You, Man") is hoping to be promoted at his job at a financial company, and when his boss extends him a dinner invitation, he can't refuse. The only catch is this: each employee is to bring a "person of special talent" to dinner - aka, an idiot. When Tim literally runs into Barry (Steve Carell, TV's "The Office") after hitting him with his car, the two become friends of sorts, and Tim asks Barry to the dinner. Barry's specialty is making dioramas with dead mice dressed up in costumes, and Tim thinks that this "talent" of his will be just the thing to win Tim his promotion.
The film had a mix of hilarious moments and really awkward ones. It has a few memorable guest stars, such as Stephanie Szostak ("The Devil Wears Prada") as Tim's girlfriend, Julie, who thinks he's cheating on her with a crazy one-night stand of his (Lucy Punch, "Hot Fuzz"). In addition, Jermaine Clement (TV's "The Flight of the Conchords") plays an eccentric artist/model with whom Julie works with. A lot of the scenes had me laughing out loud but there were an equal number that were just too awkward to be funny. Carell and Rudd both shine in this movie, however, and it gives Carell a chance to play a role that is even more socially inept than his character Michael Scott from "The Office."
I would say Maybe see this movie. Overall, it was funny, and there were some parts in it that were very good. I was surprised to learn that it's rated PG-13, as I would have pegged it as R-rated due to the prevalence of vulgar and raunchy jokes. I do like movies with Steve Carell and also Paul Rudd, however, and I enjoyed seeing them teamed up together in this film. If you like movies with slapstick humor and a bit of raunch, then you might like "Dinner for Schmucks"; otherwise, I would stick with something more PG.
"Dinner for Schmucks" opens in theaters Friday, July 30, 2010.
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Liz Parker is a 2009 graduate of the University of Michigan. She currently works as an Assistant Medical Editor for a pathology website. Visit her at her movie blog Yes/No Films.
