Pee-wee's Big Holiday

Director: John Lee
Starring: Paul Reubens, Joe Magnaniello, Jessica Pohly, Alia Shawkat, Stephanie Beatriz, Brad William Henke, Hal Landon Jr., Diane Salinger, Patrick Egan, Tara Buck
Running Time: 89 min.
Rating: PG

★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)

Any analysis or criticism of Pee-wee's Big Holiday should be prefaced with the acknowledgment that Paul Reubens is a comic genius and the stage character he created in the late 70's, but perfected in the mid 80's with his own Saturday morning children's program and two feature films, is a national treasure. Whatever went wrong with this effort can't fall on Reubens, regardless of the fact he happens to share a screenwriting credit on it. I'd like to believe his contributions were likely limited to whatever was needed to finally get this made. And after 25 years of waiting for this, can you really blame him? While we know he's been working Pee-wee comeback scripts for years, we also know their descriptions don't even slightly resemble what's seen here. And therein lies the problem. Despite the excruciating wait, this somehow still feels like a rush job unbefitting his unique talent.

Big Holiday isn't exactly a poor film, but it's just kind of there, containing occasional moments of inspired lunacy and inside jokes that capture prime Pee-wee and should moderately succeed at bringing grins to fans' faces. All things considered, it's actually pretty decent. It just doesn't feel important and there's this undercurrent of apathy that permeates through the low-budgeted picture, making it feel very "made-for-TV." Of course, it is, and this shouldn't be a bad thing considering the quality of most of what's on TV now far surpasses that of feature films. But with a larger than life character like Pee-wee, it's a problem. It's almost as if a committee got together and agreed to paint with only the broadest strokes possible in order to churn this out. "There. He's back. Happy now?"

Even if I can accept the excuse that we should all just be happy to see him again and don't deserve more, Reubens and the character sure do. Since the industry still seems to strangely insist he continue paying for a mistake he made decades ago, this project could almost be viewed as the latest punishment. Okay, maybe it's not that bad. But after a really promising premise, it starts to drag its feet in an effort to mimic Pee-wee's Big Adventure, making its trim 89 minutes start to feel far longer. Director John Lee does an adequate job with what he's given, but he's no Tim Burton, nor does anyone expect him to be. Tim Burton isn't even Tim Burton anymore. But there's nothing wrong with admitting we expected better, no matter how much it stings to say it.

Grey-suited, red-bow tied man-child Pee-wee Herman (Reubens) lives in the idyllic town of Fairville, rising each morning to repeat the same routine of hopping into his car, grabbing breakfast and greeting well-wishers on his way to his job as a short-order cook at Dan's Diner. It's there where he meets actor Joe Manganiello (actor Joe Manganiello), who Pee-wee only knows as a really cool guy on a motorcycle. After mixing Joe one of the "top 5" best chocolate shakes he's had in his life, the two discover they actually have a lot in common and become fast friends, leading to an invitation to Joe's upcoming birthday party in New York City. One problem: Pee-wee's never left his comfort zone of Fairville and has little desire to. But with Joe urging to take some risks and live a little, Pee-Wee embarks on his very first holiday, traveling cross-country and, of course, meeting some unusual characters along the way.

If there any jarring aspects to this journey, Pee-wee Herman isn't one of them, as he's preserved exactly as we remember him. In more ways than one. Thanks to even more make-up than usual and some invisibly impressive digital re-touching, the character hardly looks like he's aged a day. It was the right decision since we'd need to get around the reality that Reubens is in his early sixties now and the very nature of the Pee-wee character is rooted in his childlike demeanor and appearance. He remains frozen in a perpetual state of youthfulness, a concept that couldn't be more relevant to the film's narrative. For everything that does look cheap and low-budget here, it's a relief that those effects don't, further de-aging an actor who already looks younger than his age. Of course, an even easier solution would have been not waiting so damn long to make the movie.

As expected, Reubens slips back into the role like he never left and his performance is consistently likable and tonally on point, even when the material he's working with isn't. That should be a given, but after all this time there's no guarantees, so the film earns most of its big points there, and with the general thematic outline of the story. Then the praise starts dwindling and it's my sneaking suspicion that's where most of Reubens' creative input ended. It can't be proven, but I'll go out on a limb and hypothesize that producer Judd Apatow and Netflix executives "finessed" his ideas (which were likely edgier and more subversive), molding them into much of what the final product became. This theory could either be completely wrong, or perhaps scarier, that description may represent a tamer, more diplomatic version of what happened. Let's go with the former since the thought of Reubens having to severely compromise his creativity is too depressing to entertain.

Stuck in his daily routine, the change-resistant Pee-wee Herman's Pleasantville-esque hometown of Fairville is a great starting point that works to not only satisfy fans with a reintroduction, but gives newer viewers a glimpse into what he's all about. It only makes sense that this grown man who acts like a five-year old would be so set in his ways, opposing growth of any kind. Nearly everything that occurs in Fairville works, including Joe Manganiello's fun performance as "himself," proving wrong those who thought Pee-wee sharing the screen with a semi-famous co-star would be a distraction. If anything, there scenes together prove to be the film's highlight, as Pee-wee's obliviousness to the actor's identity and career turns into one of their best exchanges.

It's when we hit the road that things start to go downhill, or at least seem more hit-or-miss in terms of humor. While the clear inspiration for this journey is 1985's Pee-wee's Big Adventure, this film hasn't nearly the same scope or novelty to get away with that so it feels less like a spiritual sequel than an inferior copy. But we're apparently forgetting that film existed since they claim the character has never left his homtown or been on a vacation of any kind. The comic pit-stops vary in quality, with the worst taking up the most amount of screen time, as a 50's inspired biker gang of women bank robbers (played by Jessica Pohly, Stephanie Beatriz and Alia Shawkat) ripped right out of a Russ Meyer film kidnap Pee-wee. Better is his encounter with a farmer (Hal Landon Jr.) whose nine daughters each want a piece of him, but even that joke eventually wears out its welcome before being beaten into the ground.

Intermittent moments of genuine warmth and comedy are occasionally overshadowed by this feeling that something's off with tone or gags just simply drag on endlessly without a satisfying payoff. The exceptions involve two wonderful turns from Patrick Egan as a traveling salesman and Big Adventure alum Diane Salinger as a Katharine Hepburn-inspired aviator with a flying car. Those segments really hit the mark, as do Pee-Wee's fantasy flashforward sequences at Joe's party. Unfortunately, by the third act, the action feels like such a slog I was looking at my watch wondering if he'd ever get there. And when he actually does, it's actually kind of a letdown. Luckily, Mark Mothersbaugh's score does an effective job capturing the magical whimsy of Pee-wee's universe better than perhaps the screenplay does.

It's doubtful anyone was under the illusion that Pee-wee Herman would return in exactly the same capacity he left us over 25 years ago, nor would we necessarily want him to. Time has passed and that would be impossible. But what went wrong with this project speaks to a larger problem evident in the shocking lack of promotion for what should have been a big deal. Studios want to reap the rewards of cashing in on nostalgia without the monetary risk that comes from going all in, so they only dip their feet in the water. Yes, it's great to see him again, and even with all its flaws, it's a testament to Reubens' talent that the originality of his creation still manages to still shine through. And for that, Pee-wee's Big Holiday couldn't possibly go down as a complete disappointment. Just a partial one. 
               

Trainwreck

Director: Judd Apatow
Starring: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Tilda Swinton, Colin Quinn, John Cena, Mike Birbiglia, Jon Glaser, Vanessa Bayer, Ezra Miller, LeBron James
Running Time: 124 min.
Rating: R

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)

It's easy to assume you have Judd Apatow's Trainwreck all figured out before even seeing it. It'll be an uncomfortable, awkward mixture of comedy and drama with some toilet humor thrown in, eventually culminating in an unlikable, emotionally arrested protagonist learning to grow up. And since it's an Apatow production, there's always the chance it'll take thirty minutes longer to arrive at that revelation than it should. In the best case scenario, that would be just over two hours, or in the worst case, closer to two and a half. While those details do prove correct, there's something very different about the execution this time, resulting is his most purely satisfying effort in a while.

After essentially repeating the same formula that worked in the 40-Year-Old Virgin, but grew progressively worse with Knocked Up, Funny People and This is 40, Apatow finally nails it. Maybe it's the absence of
autobiographical subject matter or a willingness to relinquish his desire to be the next James L. Brooks, but he's delivered a movie that stands out from his others. But you have to figure the real difference maker is Amy Schumer, who in her first big screen starring role proves she's more than deserving of all the hype surrounding her.     

The film opens with a flashback in which a young Amy and her sister Kim are told their parents are divorcing, and warned by their drunken, philandering, Mets obsessed father, Gordon (Colin Quinn) on the dangers of monogamy. Flash forward twenty-three years and an adult Amy (Schumer) has internalized that advise, regularly smoking, drinking and sleeping around with guys like gym rat, Steven (John Cena) in order to escape the possibility of an actual adult relationship. Meanwhile, Kim (Brie Larson) has done the exact opposite, settling down with Tom (Mike Birbiglia) a dorky, if generally decent guy with an equally nerdy son Amy finds annoying.

It's Amy's intense dislike of sports that causes her intimidating editor at S'nuff men's magazine, Dianna (Tilda Swinton), to assign her a piece on renowned sports surgeon, Aaron Conners (Bill Hader.), who spends most of his free time hanging with best friend LeBron James (as "himself") and is currently preparing for a major surgery on Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire (himself again). With a promotion on the line and her father recently admitted to a nursing home, Amy hasn't a clue what to do when she actually starts dating and falling for a genuinely good guy who really likes her, faults and all. So, of course, she does her best to sabotage it, not realizing the person she's hurting most is herself.

This is a comedy that gets a lot right, which is a big surprise considering how much it's attempting to do at once, and how shaky Apatow's previous attempts at juggling this type of material have been. Helping is a really strongly defined character at the movie's center, which is evident immediately upon her introduction in the first few minutes. There's no doubt Amy likes to have fun, and it's interesting to note that when she wakes up in some random guy's bed completely hung over without a clue where she is, we realize this isn't a scene we'd even wince at if the protagonist were male. Schumer (who penned the script) and Apatow know this and are always a few steps ahead of our thinking she's a slut by having her admit to being one with little hesitation and no regrets.

I know very little, if anything, about Amy Schumer other than the fact that she has a show on Comedy Central a lot of people love that's supposedly dirtier and more controversial than this. That her casting was met with groans that she's not "hot enough" for the role is an especially bizarre complaint considering this isn't exactly the kind of female part we frequently see. Schumer makes it soar, hilariously transforming what should be detestable character traits into relatable, often painfully sympathetic quirks. She's also able to switch gears on a dime between the laugh-out-loud scenes and some of the more serious, soul-searching moments which are thankfully never all that serious in her hands.

The movie's secret weapon is Hader, would seem to be as atypical a choice as Schumer to lead a romantic comedy, which makes him an inspired choice, while marking sort of a divergence from the goofball characters he's known for playing since his SNL days. She's not as funny without Hader's straight man to play off and if the running joke is that Aaron's supposed to be boring, than it would be tough to find another actor who makes boring as interesting. Similar to Schumer, audiences will walk away from this experience with a higher opinion of his acting talents than when they went in, potentially opening the door to different types of roles we can picture him in.     

What separates this from other entries in an increasingly popular comedy subgenre is that this is actually invested in exploring what's behind Amy's behavior, while still consistently eliciting laughs doing it. She's on a journey with a very clear end point but the plot doesn't feel as forced or telegraphed as usual does because the writing and acting are so strong. It's the little details that count, such as the hilarious workplace scenes where we get to see an unrecognizable, but delightfully evil Tilda Swinton endorse one ridiculous story idea after another, as Amy and her hapless co-workers (played by Vanessa Bayer, Randall Park and Jon Glaser) sweat with fear.  Or how John Cena's musclehead character becomes a little too boyfriend-like for Amy to handle. Even a sub-plot involving Ezra Miller's overeager intern that has no business working, somehow pays off hilariously.

Every scene with LeBron and Bill Hader's Aaron, specifically those involving the world's highest paid athlete stiffing the latter with every bill. It's worth noting that Cena and especially LeBron's roles are almost ridiculously substantial compared to what would be expected of them. Neither necessarily feels like stunt casting and both end up excelling in supporting parts that don't ask too much of them and actually serve a function in the story. The real celebrity stunt casting actually comes at the end, and it's so random and unexpected that it rightfully earns some of the film's biggest laughs.

Colin Quinn playing Amy's ailing father in a nursing home while looking exactly like his 56-year-old self is definitely a head-scratcher that strangely serves to make an already hilarious performance seem that much funnier. At worst, Quinn's trademark sarcasm and deadpan delivery is put to such excellent use that it's difficult to even notice or care that he's playing someone nearly two decades older. As Kim, Brie Larson is given a slightly undeveloped role she still manages to still do a lot with, allowing us to see through her how Amy turned into such a disaster. And as her oddly matched husband, the loony Birbiglia unexpectedly steals most of the scenes he's in.

Despite employing the usual Apatow tricks, the movie never forces us to like Amy. We just do, and that's all Schumer. The running joke will be that this is really a guy's part since Hollywood dictates only they can struggle with the issues she does here. It's almost impossible to watch without thinking her script's really on to something that hasn't been publicly acknowledged, at least on the big screen. In finally figuring out how to effectively juggle comedy and drama, without giving audiences a headache, Apatow does creep over the two-hour mark, if just barely. But this time it doesn't feel like a drag or mishmash of tones. The only quibble might be the ending, as it's difficult not to wish for a conclusion a little less pat, and maybe a bit more ambiguous or edgier. But that may have been asking too much. As it stands, Trainwreck is the kind of movie we all not so secretly wish Woody Allen could still make, even when it's poking fun at him.         
                     

This is 40

Director: Judd Apatow
Starring: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, John Lithgow, Megan Fox, Albert Brooks, Maude Apatow, Iris Apatow, Melissa McCarthy, Jason Segel, Lena Dunham, Chris O' Dowd, Robert Smigel
Running Time: 133 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

First, the good news. Judd Apatow's This is 40 isn't afflicted with the same mean-spirited tone that plagued it's sort of prequel, Knocked Up. And despite featuring two of that movie's more annoying supporting players in more prominent roles, they actually resemble real human beings with legitimate problems this time around. It's also consistently funny with a healthy batting average of jokes hitting their mark. If there's a problem, it's in the allegation that few outside of Judd Apatow and his immediate family will be interested in watching these characters struggle with problems most non-Hollywood residents would probably kill to have. But that's not necessarily his fault. He's clearly writing from personal experience, as is his right, and at no point does he imply this well-off family's problems mirror everyone's. And while it's definitely a bit bloated at over 2 hours, at least it doesn't FEEL too long this time. And it is a gutsy move to make an essentially plotless dramedy consisting of a married couple and their kids fighting, whining, complaining about seemingly trivial issues. And have it work. And be funny. But he does it.

That there's hardly a conventional story to speak of is the film's biggest asset because it allows us to just sit back and observe what essentially amounts to a large-scale dramatic character study doubling as a comedy. Apatow's tried to enter James L. Brooks territory before, but has never fully committed to it quite like this. Rather than re-cap the plot, it's a better idea to just run down the problems of married couple Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) who are both turning 40, despite her angrily insisting she's really turning "38." He owns a failing record label that only signs aging rock acts while her clothing boutique isn't exactly raking in the cash either, as she suspecting an employee (Megan Fox) of stealing. Their daughters, 13 year-old Sadie (Maude Apatow) and 8 year-old Charlotte (Iris Apatow) are constantly at each others throats while Pete's frustration grows at having to financially support his father, Larry (Albert Brooks)and his new family. Debbie's relationship, or lack of one, with her estranged dad Oliver (John Lithgow) is even worse, as the two seem barely capable of communicating at all.

The big elephant in the room is that Pete and Debbie are living far beyond their means and it's now putting a huge strain on their marriage. But considering they seem to fight about everything, there are many points where you can't help but wonder how they even got married to begin with. She thinks he's an immature man-child while he can't figure why she's being such a nag. At least the script doesn't offer up any easy solutions and implies right up until the final scene that this is definitely going to take a lot of work. How two characters who were so annoying in just the few scenes they had in the still otherwise problematic Knocked Up could be so much more tolerable and realistic in their own feature film can be attributable to the fact that Apatow's actually forced to flesh them out this time.

As a scattered snapshot of these people's lives, it's very funny, especially when it comes to the nature of their arguments which span from Pete escaping for a half hour on the toilet with his iPad to Debbie insisting on seeking alternative treatments for their daughter's ear infection. But nothing tops the sub-plot involving Pete's struggling record label, in which the film actually makes somewhat of a profound and timely statement on the commercialization of music sure to be recognizable to anyone notoriously picky about their own tastes. As Pete's top act, Graham Parker deserves a lot of credit for being a good sport by playing himself as a washed-up rock relic who peaked years ago.

As far as Apatow casting his own wife and kids in starring roles, there's little to complain about. Leslie Mann's already proven herself talented enough to deserve her slot as co-lead and the girls are a good fit in their roles. That their casting would even be considered a controversy is perplexing when you consider the film is semi-autobiographical to begin with an directors often hire their own friends and family, usually with far worse results. But the big takeaway here just might be Maude Apatow, who displays comic timing that indicates career potential that could extend beyond this movie. She's also given the film's most bizarre sub-plot (which is really saying something) involving her obsession with Lost. As someone tired of hearing all the incessant whining about how disappointed they were by the finale for the past three years, I was just thrilled Apatow took the high road and chose not to go there, instead treating that event with the excitement it did and still does deserve. While Rudd's his usual likable self, it almost goes without saying that Apatow's self-professed comic idol Albert Brooks (in his first post-Drive role) and John Lithgow give the film's two best performances as the deadbeat dads. The latter is unusually cold and restrained, making every awkward scene he shares with Mann feel especially effective.

The sub-plot involving Megan Fox's character potentially stealing is far less successful, yet even more so when dealing with Debbie's envy over Desi's beauty and sex appeal. At the risk of veering into Rex Reed territory, all the work Fox had done to her suddenly unrecognizable face is distracting enough to invalidate the notion of any woman being believably jealous of her character. There's no dancing around the fact she's always been hired for her looks in a certain type of role, but now without that trump card to fall back on, her limitations as an actress are fully exposed. Luckily, Charlene Yi makes up for it with an enjoyably goofy performance as her co-worker. Melissa McCarthy's brief but impactful scenes as a crazed parent fit right in her wheelhouse while Jason Segel's personal trainer and Tim Bagley's gynecologist are really the only two crossover characters from Knocked Up, but are far funnier and better utilized this time around. Lena Dunham and Chris O'Dowd have tiny roles as Pete's friends and co-workers at the label, but make the most of what they're given. As impressive a cast as it is, it somehow avoids feeling overstuffed, with everyone serving as colorful wallpaper in Pete and Debbie's lives.

Whether intended or not, the film does a good job turning the microscope on a certain segment of the population that, regardless of income, is larger than we'd all like to admit: People who think their problems are the worst in the world. And when things get difficult, that could be everyone, considering how quickly we lose perspective. Though that may not have have been the intention, I was still was pleasantly surprised at the ease at which this went down and how few problems there were with it. Lacking an agenda and his usual awkward attempts at blending gross-out humor with unsettling emotional pathos, this could qualify as Apatow's most mature work yet, even if it's still probably far from his best. His biggest problem thus far has been that every project coming down the pike baring his name as producer, writer or director has felt too similar or the tone has been off. There's no such problem here, even if I still say it's criminal for any comedy to come close to approaching the two and a half hour mark. But at least it isn't time wasted. This is 40 is realistically messy, excelling most when making clever observations about the tiny details that make relationships both challenging and humorous.      
         

Get Him to the Greek

 

Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Elizabeth Moss, Sean Combs, Colm Meaney
Running Time: 109 min.
Rating: R

★★ 1/2 (★★★★)

Russell Brand's hedonistic, self-destructive rocker Aldous Snow from 2008's mostly forgettable Forgetting Sarah Marshall probably wouldn't top my list of supporting comic characters I'd like to see spun off into their own film. That he's joined again by Jonah Hill still doesn't do much to raise my excitement level, at least on paper.  On the bright side, neither of them were close to being the most annoying aspect of that film, or even its most unlikable character so thankfully Get Him to the Greek isn't a direct sequel to that. Here again, both actors are far from the problem and do a terrific job fleshing out parts that should have propelled a great comedy. At times it shows glimpses that it could be, but despite being a slightly smarter effort than Sarah Marshall and considerably more ambitious, it suffers from nearly the same exact problem that film had: A tonally awkward mix of comedy and drama. One second this film's a riff on celebrity pop culture, only to turn around the next and actually try to make some kind of serious social commentary on it.  It all comes to a head in a messy third act where you can literally sense two separate movies fighting for onscreen dominance, with neither winning side winning and the audience suffering slightly for having endured the battle. Because of this, and a tired satirical target, it's only sporadically amusing. There are some bright spots but just too much is thrown together in a haphazard way for it to be considered a comedic success.

This time around, instead of playing an obsessive resort employee Hill is Aaron Green, an entry-level talent scout for a major recording company that's rapidly losing money. When his boss, egotistical Segio Roma (a very funny Sean "P. Diddy" Combs) needs a game-changing idea, Aaron comes up with the idea of Aldous Snow (Brand) and his band Infant Sorrow playing a show at L.A.'s famed Greek Theater commemorating the tenth anniversary of their most famous concert. Now Aaron has to travel to the U.K. and find a way to get him there, which is more difficult than necessary considering the hard-partying Snow's 'round-the-clock schedule of sex and drugs. That's only escalated by the depression surrounding his recent break-up with longtime girlfriend, pop star Jackie Q. (Rose Byrne), and his shaky relationship with his estranged father (Colm Meaney). As a longtime fan, Aaron's investment is also personal as he tries to repair the career of a faded rock star who's last single, the politically incorrect and offensive "African Child," was blasted by music critics as the "worst thing to happen to Africa since the apartheid." He also has a relationship problem of his own with a rift growing between him and his overworked live-in girlfriend, Daphne (Mad Men's Elizabeth Moss) who he rarely gets to spend any time with because of her busy schedule.

This entire premise is about as thin as it gets but I was surprised just how much mileage writer/director Nicholas Stoller gets out of it. Maybe too much.  He takes a big risk trying to spoof something that's already a spoof of itself and choosing a starring actor in Brand who's essentially portraying a character indistinguishable from whom we perceive him to be as a celebrity. Try as you might to avoid it, this guy (and many other celebrities like him) are shoved in our faces everyday no matter what channel you flip to or magazine you read and it's puzzling to think why anyone would want to see a comedy revolving around a subject already overexposed to death as it is. This is one of those cases where you have a timely concept but also a stale one since there's no way to possibly approach it from a fresh angle.  And as ridiculous as the Aldous Snow songs and videos are, they're still much less ridiculous than a lot of the pop/rock stuff that's being put out today and probably of higher quality, so what's this spoofing exactly? They're making a joke out of something that's already a big mockery and didn't need much help to begin with.  Far from the most inspired, original idea for a comedy, for a while it at least knows enough not to take itself too seriously, which is when it works best.

The biggest mistake comes when it stops goofing around and actually asks us to feel sorry for Brand's character. This continues the tiresome trend in all these Apatow-produced comedies of trying to teach moral lessons about guys having to grow up and take responsibility. It was much more tolerable in films like Role Models and I Love You, Man which never lost sight of their mission to provide laughs and knew not to take its message seriously. But as he already proved with Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Stoller can't juggle tone at at all so every crude joke seems to be followed by semi-serious scene trying to apologize for it. By the last third of the movie everything completely flies off the rails and turns into a misguided mish-mash of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Almost Famous, even going so far as to crib a scene directly from the latter. The shame is whether they're just playing variations on their own personalities or not, Brand and Hill make a great comedy team and do gel really well together on screen, with Brand proving he's capable of going to darker, more interesting places as an actor if he's called on to do it. This shouldn't have been that time and requests for us to feel any kind of sympathy for such a flimsy, one-dimensional character should have been off-limits. As surprisingly good as Brand is here, he can't be expected to work miracles or act in two entirely different movies at once. Rose Byrne is frighteningly dead-on as his pop star girlfriend but she's another character who suffers in the laughs department because she actually seems respectable compared to current talentless music stars making headlines. Unsurprisingly, Elizabeth Moss is likable and funny as Aaron's girlfriend but Stoller's script undercuts her efforts with a creative decision in the third act so ill-conceived and tonally out of place I had to check and make sure I was still watching the same movie.

At only 109 minutes the film feels overlong, as if many of the jokes were simply repeated to stretch out the running time (How many times do we really need to see Jonah Hill drunk and puking?) Scarier still, when it was over I discovered I actually viewed the theatrical version, not the EXTENDED Unrated director's cut. What more could possibly added to something like this? Why would you want to add anything? And therein lies the problem. So many of these comedies are just too ambitious, trying to do a million things at once when just providing some laughs is good enough. The script does occasionally cut loose and do that really well  (particularly during a "Today Show" sequence and a bad drug trip in Vegas involving Diddy's character) but Stoller's desire to "say something" is always annoyingly present, ready to intrude. But even as messy and unfocused as Get Him to the Greek is, it's still slightly better than Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I'd rather see a likable comedy fail to work as a drama than a depressing drama posing as a comedy.

Adventureland

Director: Greg Mottola
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Margarita Levieva, Matt Bush
Running Time: 107 min.
Rating: R

★★★ 1/2 (out of ★★★★)

What a year for coming-of-age films this is turning into. It's infrequent that I see two movies in a row that are so similar thematically and manage to strike the same chord. Both Adventureland and (500) Days of Summer were both misrepresented as fluffy comedies, the former more severely. Both deal with a transforming summer relationship. In each, music is a major component. And both focus their gaze on a twenty-something male protagonist wrestling with post-grad blues, invoking recollections (one very literally) of The Graduate. 2009, which was feared to be heading down the same underwhelming path as '08, has turned some kind of a corner recently and it's been fun to watch the reaction. I've yet to see all the films triggering this widespread enthusiasm but at least now I can scratch another off the must-see list and report it met expectations.

Greg Motttola's Adventureland received mostly mixed reviews when it opened in April and didn't connect with audiences who mistakenly went in expecting another Judd Apatow-style comedy in a year when even Apatow didn't feel like making a Judd Apatow-style comedy. We had I Love You, Man to fill that niche, which it did quite well. Unfortunately, when you splash the words, "FROM THE DIRECTOR OF SUPERBAD" across a film's poster, certain expectations will accompany it, all of which Adventureland couldn't have delivered on because it just isn't that kind of movie. But those who had actually seen and liked it didn't just merely like it. They LOVED it. No matter what it was marketed as, it was clear that it really spoke to them in a big way, piquing my interest in it further. This is a drama with very few huge laughs and you'll enjoy it best if you prepare yourself for that before tackling it. What it does expertly instead is succeed at invoking a very specific time period, mood and atmosphere that makes it easy to see how it's connected with a vocal minority of viewers on the level it has. In avoiding many of the pitfalls that plague this genre and choosing to go a more subtly intelligent route, the film definitely deserved much more attention than it was paid.

It's 1987 and recent Oberlin College graduate James Brennan (Jessie Eisenberg) is looking forward to touring Europe for the summer before attending Columbia University grad school to study journalism in the fall. That is until his parents (Wendie Malik and Jack Gilpin) break the news that they can't subsidize him and he'll have to put his dreams of going to Europe on hold to instead spend the summer working in his hometown of Pittsburgh. He lands a gig at Adventureland, the local amusement park run by an eccentric married couple (SNL's Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig), that employs a wide variety of interesting, colorful characters.Despite his desire to work on RIDES, James is incorrectly sized up by management as a GAMES guy. Or as his t-shirt reads, GAMES GAMES GAMES GAMES. In a just world where audiences actually went to see this movie, millions of those shirts could have been sold. The awkward, intellectual James immediately befriends the even geekier and more awkward Joel (Martin Starr) and despite still nursing a broken heart from college, starts to develops serious feelings for the captivating Em (Kristen Stewart). Besides wrestling with a troubled home life, she's been having a fling with the park's married maintenance man, Connell (Ryan Reynolds), a former musician whose claims to have jammed with Lou Reed are dubious. Things are complicated further for James with the return of seductive rides operator Lisa P. (Margarita Levieva), a Madonna clone who transfixes all the guys at the park. Whether he likes it or not, his worst summer ever is on a path to become the best and most memorable of his life.

Adventureland is the kind of movie likely to dredge up a lot of memories (some painful) for those who watch it. What laughter there is comes from the situations where you can stop and say, "Yeah, I've been there." And even if you haven't been there, it kind of feels like you were anyway. Unlike (500) Days of Summer, it doesn't go for the jugular in its depiction of romantic relationships and is more sentimental, unapologetically drenching itself in nostalgia. It also fits into one of my favorite movie sub-genres: Cool workplaces. Think Clerks or Empire Records. I've always found it compelling to watch people who would have never otherwise met be thrown together by chance in a job only to end up forging a lasting friendship. James is lucky enough to get that experience but his post-grad struggles before taking this seemingly lame, dead-end job. are shown realistically by Mottola and reverberate with personal sentiment. The cold, hard fact that college can't possibly prepare you for life is thrown in James' face when the comparative literature major is simultaneously over-qualified AND under-qualified for every menial job for which he applies. James is too introspective, too observant, and too sensitive for his own good. In a way, his sincerity is his own worst enemy and he needs something or someone to break him in. His relationship with Em provides that.

Eisenberg (who first impressed in 2005's The Squid and the Whale) has been criticized for giving performances too reminiscent of Michael Cera in their awkwardness. While I'm sure Cera would be flattered (offended?) by the notion that he actually has a "style" of acting that can be imitated, his persona didn't consciously occur to me at all as I watched Eisenberg. Cera is more sarcastic, which perfectly fits a raucous film like Superbad, but would be ill-suited for more dramatic material like this. It's insane to assert the two actors are interchangeable. What Eisenberg does bring to it is a subtly grounded approach, thankfully choosing not to play James as some kind of stuttering, stammering dork incapable of social interaction. As cliche as it's becoming to see the geek get the girl in every major comedy released these days, thanks to him it at least comes off more bearable than usual.

Strangely though, the movie's success doesn't begin and end with him. This is a rare occasion where the female love interest is being presented pitch-perfectly both in terms of writing and performance and ends up being the more fully realized character. What's most refreshing is that there isn't a phony, insincere bone in Em's body and she doesn't play games. She's given a difficult home situation but the card isn't overplayed and we feel bad for her because she's essentially a good soul who just doesn't know it yet. You can see what James sees in her, and Stewart conveys everything Em's going through with little more than a glance in a revelatory supporting performance.It's a shame she's sabotaging her career by starring in big-budget projects beneath her as I'd like to believe she can recover and continue to do meaningful work like she did in Panic Room and Into the Wild. It would be awful if despite her contribution, the film ages poorly merely because of her star presence in it. The last thing anyone wants to do is remember this as the amusement park movie with "that girl from Twilight." Her and the film deserve better. While the idea of Ryan Reynolds' character getting it on with Stewart's, who looks (and probably is) about half his age, is pretty creepy, the challenging sub-plot is pulled off in an effective, mostly non-creepy way, which is a real credit to the two actors. They make us view it as the mistake that it is and they know it to be as well. When Connell finds out about James' feelings for Em his reaction isn't what you'd expect. He isn't a jerk, just a decent guy with an ego struggling through some issues, an important distinction that would go missing in a lesser script and performance. It's a relatively small part for Reynolds, but it's his most complex to date and he finds a lot of truth in it.

Anyone who says '80's music is discreetly slid into the picture must have been watching a different film than me. Hardly a single scene goes by where key music of the era isn't blasting, whether it be Lou Reed, INXS, Falco, Expose, Husker Du, The Replacements, Crowded House and just for old times sake, The Velvet Underground. It's overkill but I didn't mind since song-for-song it's the best soundtrack to come along in a while. Beyond perfectly capturing the era in terms of music and dress, this joins movies like Donnie Darko and Son of Rambow in not only harnessing the feel of the '80's, but feeling like it was made during that period. Terry Stacey's cinematography and Yo La Tengo's score only reinforces that atmosphere. What laughs there are come from the painful truths of growing up more than anything else, while the rest are filled in by Hader and Wiig, (who are crazy but reined in) and James' former childhood friend Tommy Frigo (Matt Bush), who remains in a perpetual state of adolescence. The one character who didn't really work for me was Lisa P., who seemed more a walking stereotype for the decade and a plot marker than an actual human being.

This is an optimistic film coming-of-age-film that understands life can be filled with disappointment and darkness but every once in a while something really incredible happens and you just want stop time and hold onto it for as long as possible. It operates with the knowledge that life can suck sometimes and you'll still survive, but doesn't condescend in any way or succumb to cheap sentimentality (aside from a closing scene that reeks of pure fantasy to the point it feels like a dream sequence). I'm not entirely sure how you can even market movies like this, which is a shame, because coming-of-age films can be the most rewarding of all genres when presented well. Why it's even rated "R" or wasn't given a more advantageous summer release date are valid questions. In a way it reminds me of Judd Apatow's the short-lived TV masterpiece, Freaks and Geeks, which also managed to perfectly capture a mood and time period not too far off from this one. This movie will hit hardest for those who were teenagers in the '80's but everyone else will probably find a lot to appreciate also. Mottola really put himself on the line. It would have been easy money to follow Superbad with another vulgar comedy but he instead chose to tell a story that clearly meant a lot to him. This is one movie I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel of since I cared about these characters and would want to know what they're up to now. It isn't good for anyone when a quality film like Adventureland flops because too many people already think no one cares about their story or what they have to say. The last thing they need is another excuse to not share it.

Funny People

Director: Judd Apatow
Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman
Running Time: 136 min.
Rating: R

★★★ 1/2 (out of ★★★★)

I was always fascinated to hear and watch stories about how people carry on with their lives after having a near-death experience. But I never really bought into the idea that you're necessarily "reborn" or become a "new person" as a result of it. Chances are that if your life is loaded with problems only you can fix, almost dying isn't going to wipe them all away. That's the central premise of Judd Apatow's third film, Funny People. That's right, only his THIRD film. I had to double-check that, but it's true. Doesn't it seem like he's made about 15,000 so far? As a writer and producer he probably has, but as strange as it seems, it really is only his third outing in the director's chair. And if recent box office estimates are to be trusted, it's officially his first commercial flop.

When his sophomore effort Knocked Up became a huge hit, I was puzzled what moviegoers found funny and endearing about a nasty, mean-spirited drama that unsuccessfully tried to pass itself off as sophisticated comedy. Now the shoe's on the other foot as I find myself defending the one film of his that has understandably been failing to striking a chord with mainstream audiences. To the relief of many, the days of Apatow indulging himself with nearly two and a half hour cuts have probably come to an end after this. But there's a lot of good news anyway.

Unlike Knocked Up (which this is about a thousand times better than by the way), what's supposed to be funny is funny and what's supposed to be dramatic is dramatic, with the two never mixing uncomfortably. It very much feels like a dramedy, if maybe an overly ambitious one. But at least there's no confusion as to what it's supposed to be. The film is a lot better than you've heard and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if in the coming years it starts to experience a re-evaluation from the same critics and audiences who dismissed it.

Funny People can be broken down into two sections: The BEFORE and the AFTER. When lonely, self-absorbed actor/comedian George Simmons (Adam Sandler) is diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia he falls into a deep depression questioning his life and career choices. Enter Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) a sub shop employee and aspiring stand-up comedian who has to unexpectedly follow George's depressing routine at a nightclub and responds by mocking him. Despite their shaky start, George sees something in the young comedian he likes and hires him as his writer and personal assistant, much to the chagrin of Ira's jealous roomates, aspiring stand-up Leo Keonig (Jonah Hill) and egotistical actor Mark Taylor Jackson (Jason Schwartzman), whose recent taste of fame as the star of the new NBC series, Yo Teach! is going straight to his head. That's the BEFORE.

The AFTER comes when George discovers he's been miraculously cured of the disease, a piece of information the studio has curiously gone to great lengths to reveal, perhaps fearing even fewer people would turn out for a comedy they think features Adam Sandler slowly perishing from a leukemia. George uses this new lease on life to re-connect with old flame Laura (Leslie Mann), an ex-actress who will always be better known to him as "the one that got away." But winning her back from husband Clarke (Eric Bana) is a problem since George has come away from his life altering ordeal no less of a jerk than he was before, if not more of one. He still has a long way to go before he can be considered a fully functioning human being capable of a real relationship. Ira is the only person who has George's back, even if he doesn't seem to appreciate it.

Surprisingly, nothing in this film feels forced. Celebrity cameos (from the likes of James Taylor, Eminem, Tom from MySpace and a whole bunch of comedians) and pop culture references are blended in seamlessly. Even more impressively, stand-up comedy is extremely difficult to depict on film in an entertaining way and here we're not only given a (presumably) inside look into that world, but the stand-up material is hilarious. Of all the three Apatow written/directed films this one has the highest percentage of jokes that hit the mark and it's a screenplay filled with clever in-jokes that shouldn't be spoiled.

For a while things are going so perfectly that you don't ever want the movie to end. Of course, you could say that with a running time of almost 140 minutes, it almost never does. There's only one thing that doesn't completely work and while it doesn't completely fail either, it's problematic enough that it starts to become an issue in the third act, especially considering the amount of time allotted to it. Apatow makes a questionable judgement call in asking us to root for George and Laura's potentially rekindled relationship, despite being spawned from desperation and infidelity. But that's not much the problem as it's a reflection of George's immorality, of which only Ira seems able to see. The problem is, save for a couple of flashbacks, we're not given enough background on their relationship to really care about it all that much.

Apatow didn't necessarily craft a role for his wife that's underwritten since she gets plenty of screen time and is given a lot to do, but that's not to say it could have been written better. Sure, we don't want Laura leaving her husband and kids (played by Apatow and Mann's real life daughters) for the selfish George but we don't want her staying with her jerk husband either. This gives us no one to root for and and a host of unlikable people, chief among them Laura for her awful judgment. Luckily, she played by Mann who's able to conceal much of that and I was just so happy to finally see her in a well deserved major role that I hardly noticed the writing flaw. Bana, who was the subject of Knocked Up's most memorable joke, helps save the final act by showing a charisma and gift for comedy we never knew he had. Or at least we wouldn't know he had it from watching Munich, Hulk or Troy. It's a real shocker. Almost as shocking as the fact that Bana used to be a stand-up comedian.

I'm not sure that this is Sandler's best performance but I am positive that George Simmons is my favorite character that Sandler has ever played, mainly because it recalls so much of what I always imagined he's really like. For those like me who grew up watching him on SNL and listening to his early comedy albums it's thrill to see him sending up his own image like this and the incorporation of his early career footage into the film just adds to that authenticity and nostalgia.

It's difficult to discern the game Sandler's playing with us in taking this role, if it's a game at all. Is this some kind of admission of guilt or apology for making the choices he has in his career, despite the fame and success it's brought him? Or is he laughing at us for being stupid enough to enjoy them? Is he in on this joke? We'll never know, but the cruel irony is that after the commercial failure of this film Sandler will once again have to go back to making the same kinds of movies he appears to be mocking himself for in this picture. We criticize his "sell-out" choices but whenever he attempts to stretch with more meaningful work like this we hate him for it. It makes me wonder if George's speech about people expecting too much from him could have come from Sandler himself. Scarier still, he may be right.

As interesting as his performance is, it isn't the best in the film. Rogen's is. Even though many feel as if he's been overexposed of late, he just seems to get better and better with each role he takes. Despite the comedic elements surrounding him, he gives Ira a full-fledged dramatic arc, making his friendship with George the focal point from which everything else in the story bounces off of. Because Rogen's work is subtly present and understated (words I never thought I'd ever use to describe a performance of his), it isn't instantly obvious how well he serves the material. Had another actor been cast in the part this wouldn't have been the same experience at all. And bonus points to Apatow for cleverly incorporating Rogen's recent weight loss into the character's backstory.

As autobiographical a film as this is for Sandler, it feels like it could be even more autobiographical for Apatow, kind of like he was shooting for his own Almost Famous. We knew this guy was a major writing talent when his his TV series Freaks and Geeks was cancelled almost a decade ago, but I don't think anyone (including him) had a clue he would go on to enjoy the kind of success he's had. This movie seems like his way of reconciling that and maybe just stopping for a breather to take it all in.This looks and feels like his first real adult movie and more like the kind of film that would be directed by James L. Brooks and released into theaters during awards season (he even employs Schindler's List and Munich cinematographer Janusz Kaminski ). He really came to play this time. And as oppressive as it's running time might seem to be on paper it didn't FEEL long to me, at least compared to other movies these past few years that have abused their running times.

This picture was on my list of most anticipated films of 2009 not because I thought it would be some kind of masterpiece (which it isn't) but because I know no matter what Apatow does right or wrong it's almost always guaranteed to be more interesting than a lot of what else is out there. Go figure I would enjoy the ugly step-child in his filmography this much. At best, Funny People will have a far longer shelf life than most expect, or at worst, be remembered as a fascinating curiosity in the career of one of comedy's most influential voices.

I Love You, Man

Director: John Hamburg
Starring: Paul Rudd, Jason Seagal, Rashida Jones, J.K. Simmons, Jamie Pressley, Jon Favreau Jane Curtin, Andy Samberg
Running Time: 105 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

I Love You, Man is the type of comedy that surprisingly gets a whole bunch of little details right. Actually, it gets so many details right you almost run the risk of missing something if you don't pay close enough attention. That it accomplishes this is somewhat surprising considering a new Judd Apatow-style comedy is released every other month that covers similar territory as the one that came before it. Even if his name isn't there as either writer, producer, or director (which it isn't in this case), his footprints are all over it.

Each time I expect to tire of the well-worn formula of a man-child being forced to take responsibility and grow up. But I haven't yet. And I think the reason I haven't yet is because each movie seems to have some kind of clever little quirk or hilarious take on a life situation that differentiates it from the rest. In this one, writer/director John Hamburg takes the pitfalls of dating and relationships and cleverly applies them to platonic friendships, with hilarious results.

The plot is formulaic but never feels like it because the writing is so clever and the two leads share such great comedic chemistry onscreen together. Between Rudd and Segal it's almost impossible to choose who gives the more fulfilling performance because both make the film. I've come to expect this kind of greatness each time out with Rudd, but it was Segal who stepped out of his comfort zone a little more to play a character who isn't as goofy as you'd think. And it's that contrast, along with some funny sub-plots and supporting players, that make this an undeniable success.

California real estate agent Peter Klaven (Rudd) seemingly has it all. Newly engaged to his beautiful girlfriend Zooey (The Office's Rashida Jones) and expecting to rake in big bucks closing on Lou Ferrigno's house, things couldn't possibly be going any better. It's just too bad he doesn't have any friends to share it with and as his wedding day quickly approaches he's in danger of walking down the aisle minus a best man. Throughout his life, Peter has always been the consumate "ladies' man," always enjoying the company of women in his life but seemingly unable to forge lasting male friendships.

When his father (J.K. Simmons) and very openly gay brother (Andy Samberg) come up with the idea of setting him up on "man dates" to try to find a best friend. That doesn't work out so well, with Peter losing all hope entirely until he runs into the bizarre and charismatic Sydney Fife (Segal), who's "cougar hunting" for divorcees and scoring free food at his Ferrigno open house. In him he's finally found his friend "soulmate" who introduces him to a whole new world outside his boring, everyday existence. Unfortunately, Sydney's presence, while increasing Peter's confidence, begins to cause a serious rift in his relationship with Zooey.

When the film began, I was kind of unsure of the direction it was going. It doesn't really start to become clear until Peter starts "auditioning" friends, the results of which are not only hysterical, but surprisingly observant and true to life. As you're watching one of his man dates you have a sneaking suspicion that what Peter thinks is happening might differ entirely from what his "date" (played by Thomas Lennon) thinks is going on. But you're still not quite sure. When that suspicion is confirmed, the payoff is priceless. Rudd and Lennon sell the whole thing perfectly. Another classic scene, in which the catchphrase-challenged Peter leaves a voicemail on Sydney's machine we should all recognize since we've all probably left one just like it at some time or another. Hamburg's script knows that, milking the joke for all its worth, making the clever observation that it's sometimes no less difficult to launch a platonic relationship than a romantic one.

The movie is filled with clever sub-plots, most notably the funny dynamic between Peter's dad and brother, a smug, "urinal cake faced" co-worker (played by Rob Huebel) and ANYTHING INVOLVING LOU FERRIGNO and the selling of his home. The choice of Ferrigno for this part was gold and it's hard to imagine any other celebrity working as well in that spot. Every single joke involving him hits the mark, while the script somehow manages to not to mock or ridicule the actor, as can often occur when stars are playing themselves. His agent deserves a raise getting him to appear in this as he comes out of this looking like a million bucks while still supplying many of the films' laughs.

The true success of the film lies in the "bromance" between Peter and Sydney. The characters bring out in one another what the other lacks. Rudd is kind of playing the nervous, doubting Woody Allen or Larry David-type and judging from the commercials I expected Segal to be the sloppy, irresponsible goofball who terrorizes Peter's relationship with his fiancee, not unlike Owen Wilson's character in You, Me and Dupree. But Segal's Sydney is surprisingly smooth and well-adjusted, offering witty life ruminations and encouraging Peter to just be himself. He's not there to just wreck havoc as he would in an inferior slapstick comedy. He's a smart, interesting person who just so happens to be directionless and Segal's performance reflects that. After a while you start to wonder who really needs the friendship more. I found his work here to be more interesting than in last year's Forgetting Sarah Marshall (which he wasn't bad in either).

When Sydney brings Peter into his "man cave" there's no turning back. They bond over golf and jam out to Rush, enjoying a real resurgence considering their music is now being anointed by every comedy released these days as the holy grail of classic rock. It's a proclamation even I'm starting to believe is true, though it's sometimes tough to tell whether the films are winking sarcastically at their greatness. It's taken a step further this time as Geddy Lee and company actually appear.

Since this is a rom-com (albeit with a guy slant) we're still required to have the requisite third act crisis with the girl, which is thankfully underplayed and Rashida Jones comes off as so effortlessly cool and likable as the female lead. Of recent comedies, she probably ranks second only to Elizabeth Banks in Zack and Miri in terms of bringing the most to the usually thankless "girlfriend" part. Zooey would represent the perfect wife if only she had heard of Rush and didn't have Jamie Pressley, Jon Favreau and Sarah Burns' mean, irritating characters for friends. They're among the very few faults of the film in that it's nearly impossible to suspend disbelief long enough to imagine someone like her would be spending time with them, then turn around and criticize Peter's new choice of BFF.

Like Role Models before it, this is an Apatow movie through and through regardless of whose name is on the credits. And that's not a bad thing. It makes even more sense when you consider that Hamburg cut his chops as a writer on Apatow's short-lived Fox series, Undeclared. This is an example of a textbook comedy that takes very few wrong steps and while you won't be rolling on the floor, it is consistently enjoyable from beginning to end. It's definitely the kind of movie you easily plop down nine bucks to see at a theater without guilt, and if you waited for DVD, even better. I'm almost tempted to rate it higher since it does almost nothing wrong but it just doesn't reinvent the wheel and isn't the type of movie that holds up on repeated viewings. Although that hardly matters in a genre where the bar is generally set pretty low, despite being raised considerably these past couple of years. It's the performances of Rudd and Segal that really make I Love You, Man worthwhile, extending the streak of smart, edgy rom-coms that find a clever way to appeal to all audiences.

Role Models

Director: David Wain
Starring: Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Elizabth Banks, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bobb'e J. Thompson, Jane Lynch
Running Time: 100 min.
Rating: Unrated

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

Familiarity can breed contempt and it seems every other week a new R rated comedy comes out that features the usual Judd Apatow players, or if they're not, they feel like they are. But something hit me while watching David Wain's Role Models. Apatow's name isn't anywhere on it as either producer, writer or director yet I'm still mentioning him in this review. Sure, a couple of actors who have appeared in his films are featured here but he was in no way creatively involved with this picture. Still, it's impossible to watch this and not think how closely it resembles much of his output.

As much as I complain that Apatow doesn't always get it right (Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), a lot of the time he does (The 40-Year-Old-Virgin, Superbad, Pineapple Express) and despite my occasional misgivings toward this brand of comedy, no other recent filmmaker has made as positive an impact on film. Because of him actors and actresses who would be unthinkable as leads just a few years ago are now headlining major releases and the face of comedy has completely changed. It's smarter and everyone else has been forced to step up their game. Spielberg is an influential producer and director but have his projects transformed an entire genre and actually MADE stars? Have other writers and directors tried to imitate him? Are his fingerprints on movies he had nothing to do with? Wain was around way before Apatow starting on MTV's The State and moving on to direct one of the most underrated comedies of the past decade in Wet Hot American Summer. He knows what he's doing anyway but there's no denying this new style of comedy has influenced his latest, and in a mostly good way.

Energy drink salesmen Wheeler (Seann William Scott) and Danny (Paul Rudd) travel from school to school hawking their Minotaur beverage and urging kids to stay off drugs (isn't caffeine a drug?) While Wheeler loves his job and is essentially a big kid, Danny is cold and morose wondering how his life got so off track as he passes 30. After his girlfriend Beth (Elizabeth Banks) can't stand it anymore and dumps him, he and Wheeler find themselves sentenced to 150 hours of community service after causing property damage at a school. The charity they're sent to is "Sturdy Wings," a big brother like program led by recovering drug addict Gayle Sweeney (Jane Lynch) whose behavior and methods in overseeing the program are bizarre to say the least. We find out about her troubled history through a hysterical flashback video that may be the highlight of the entire film.

The guys are assigned to a kid each with Wheeler stuck with Ronnie (Bobb'e J. Thompson), a foul-mouthed 10-year-old obsessed with breasts. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Danny is assigned nerdy teen outcast Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), who's obsessed and way too involved with a live-action Medieval role playing game called LAIRE (Live Action Interactive Role-playing Experience). Unless Danny and Wheeler provide sufficient guidance to these kids and carry out all their tasks within the allotted time, Gayle will call the judge and have them thrown in the slammer, an option that's beginning to look better to them by the second.

Predictably, after a rough early going, Danny and Wheeler start to bond with the kids and find a common ground on which they can connect. The story's obvious from the first frame but that's not why you watch a movie like this. You watch to laugh and there are plenty of laughs here thanks to some scene-stealing performances and Wain's affectionate depiction of a role playing universe we don't often see explored in comedies. It would have been so easy (almost too easy) for Wain to take cheap shots at this hobby that is supposedly popular among geeky circles but rather than laugh AT the people involved in it Wain lets us laugh WITH the characters and appreciate their dedication to it. I was surprised how involved and excited I was during the final fight and found it interesting how all the role-players are on the same page with their honor system. But the largest reason Augie's role-playing sub-plot works is Mintz-Plasse.

Like in Superbad, Plasse is playing a nerd but you'll be surprised just how differently he does it this time. That character was confident in his non-conformity while Augie is kind of hurting and struggling to fit in. It's a small touch, but Plasse plays it just right. This isn't just a rehash of McLuvin' as the trailers and commercials indicated. Kerri Kenney-Silver and Ken Marino also manage to get some good jabs in as Augie's unlikable mom and boyfriend, particularly during a memorable dinner scene with Rudd's character. Plasse's junior co-star Bobb'e J. Thompson is basically playing a 10-year-old Chris Rock, cursing up a storm and having a blast doing it. It's hilarious at first but after a while it started to wear on me.

Though its through no fault of his own Seann William Scott is saddled playing an older version of Stifler in that there isn't much depth to that character beyond his emotional immaturity. But he does have a great scene where he offers up the most logical defense of KISS's music possible. Rudd, who seems to be the go-to leading man in comedies these days, succeeds in making Danny a depressed jerk, but invests him with enough innate likability and charisma that we still really want to root for the guy.

The always lovely Banks is given one of her least memorable roles to date as the thankless love interest, but given the nature of this script I'm not sure much more could have been done with the part, or that it needed to be. What all the performances have in common is that they pale in comparison to the work of Jane Lynch, who steals the entire movie with her zany portrayal of program founder Gayle. The things that come out of her mouth are completely insane but Lynch finds a way to somehow ground it in reality enough that she's a believable counselor also, which just make her antics even funnier. Just as strong is Ken Jeong as Augie's role-playing arch-nemesis King Argotron, who plays his part so hilariously straight you'd think he wandered off the set of Braveheart.

It's a relief knowing that comedies have gotten a lot smarter lately and the amount of unfunny ones being released in a given year are lower than ever. The Apatowian R-Rated comedy with a message is just about the safest studio bet left and there are many audiences out there who will only take a trip to the theater to see this kind of film. Having said that, I'm not sure how long it'll be before I start to tire of them. We're not there yet, but I can easily see it happening. The same actors are starring in the same types of movies with only slight variations on similar themes and you have to wonder how long it'll be before they run out of gas. Luckily, Wain's script and the performances come through to make Role Models more entertaining than most.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Director: Kevin Smith
Starring: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Jason Mewes, Craig Robinson, Traci Lords, Katie Morgan, Brandon Routh, Justin Long
Running Time: 101 min.
Rating: R

*** (out of ****)

So, I’m sitting there watching Zack and Miri Make a Porno and laughing a lot, like I do most Kevin Smith films, until I realized about 40 minutes in, “Oh, it’s about THAT.” I kind of suspected the direction it was going but didn’t think he had a chance at pulling it off. Smith cranks out so many smart comedies that I’m starting to think that maybe we’ve taken for granted just how good he is. When he’s given good actors he’s even better and someone should start a petition to have Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks (who both had one hell of an ’08) to star in every studio comedy, as if they aren’t already.

With the casting of Rogen, Smith bravely opens himself up to criticism that he’s trying to tap into the Judd Apatow brand of comedy and steal a slice of his box office, but what can’t go overlooked is that he was writing and directing Apatow films long before Apatow was. He invented the R-rated raunchy comedy with heart and it’s ironic, given the subject matter and the battle he waged to have it released, that Zack and Miri feels like his most mainstream picture.

The best news is it’ll at least go down as a creative success even if it didn’t hit the commercial pay dirt it deserved. The reason it works is because it is a Smith movie through and through and he does one of his most interesting jobs slyly covering that up. It settles into a more standard, predictable rom-com groove in the final act but Smith even pulls that off pretty well. Thanks to his writing and awesome performances from the two leads, it’s a great time and delivers everything we’ve come to expect from his pictures. Just about the only difference is that its set in Pennsylvania instead of Jersey.

Lifelong platonic best friends and roomates Zack Brown (Rogen) and Miriam “Miri” Linky (Banks) are broke, unable to make rent and suffering without water or electricity. Unless they think of a plan soon they’ll be out on the street since Zack’s job as a barista at a Starbucks-like chain isn’t getting it done. After an awkward and hilarious encounter at their high school reunion with Miri’s longtime crush, Bobby Long (Brandon Routh!?) and his gay porn actor boyfriend Brandon St. Randy (a hilarious Justin Long) Zack gets the crazy idea to film and distribute a porno to pull them out of debt. He calls on favors from some of his friends to help get it done, which ends up being a bizarre combination of veteran Smith and Apatow players as well as some real life porn stars thrown in for authenticity.

Pineapple Express’ Craig Robinson is Zack’s coffee shop co-worker, henpecked at home by his wife and misinterpreting a customer’s order for their coffee “black” as a racial slur. As “producer” of this endeavor he has the tough job of auditioning women for the roles while Zack enlists his hockey buddy (Clerks’ Jeff Anderson) to film it. They hire their actresses (adult film stars Traci Lords and Katie Morgan) and find a nutjob (Jason Mewes) with a special talent as one of the male leads. Full of Smith’s trademark vulgar humor throughout, the film takes a more earnest turn later on.

Of Smith’s films, this is probably his most mature, technically put together effort thus far and a sign that he tried to step out of his comfort zone just a little despite the material he was dealing with. What works best is the fact that you really believe that Zack and Miri were best friends their entire lives. So much so that the idea of a prequel exploring their misadventures in high school wouldn’t seem like such a bad idea after witnessing the hilarious reunion scenes. The gross-out, vulgar humor you typically expect from Smith is on full display for much of the running time and even though I expected this to be more than about just making a porno I was kind of surprised just how much more there was besides that and how well it was executed. In a rather believable way making a porno brings something out of Zack and Miri that they weren’t aware they had and forces them to view each other in a different light.

Many viewers had problems buying Seth Rogen “knocking up” Katherine Heigl. With enough drinks anything is possible but where I started to have problems with credibility was when the two actually attempted to a have a real relationship. It’s hard to root for characters who not only can’t stand one another, but try to make things work only out of a sense of obligation. That movie lost me right about there. Thankfully this one doesn’t make similar mistakes and by starting Zack and Miri off as friends Rogen and Banks are able to cultivate an easygoing chemistry together that makes what comes later much more believable and rewarding.

None of this would click like it does if Banks wasn’t the female lead since we know Rogen is an old pro at playing this type of slacker role. She really had to deliver the goods to convince us that Miri could fall for someone who besides being a schlubby loser, is stuck in the “best friend” zone. But she pulls it off and so easily keeps up with the vulgar humor of the guys that we’d also believe that Zack would have problems seeing her as more than a friend. This role was originally written for Clerks 2’s Rosario Dawson who dropped out so she could star in…Eagle Eye. The less said about that choice the better. As awesome as Dawson is it’s tough to imagine her bringing anything to the table that Banks didn’t.

Also credit Smith as a writer for noticing that a meaningful relationship would translate to terrible porn. It may be the only kind of acting that requires a complete absence of real feelings to be most effective. People watch porn to seeing two people going at it like animals, not making love. As much as Zack and Miri try to leave their lifelong friendship at the door and attempt to convince each other this won’t change anything, it’s a lost cause. That detail is what I liked most about the film and in many ways represents the humanity that’s prevalent in all of Smith’s work. It’s also a real treat to see his usual View Askewniverse players like Mewes and Anderson in roles other than Jay and Randall for a change.

No, it isn’t Shakespeare, but it does take talent to mine real feelings out of a subject matter this crude and shallow. With all his commercial success, Apatow’s creative expertise in this area of comic pathos has been mixed. Smith’s never was. Zack and Miri curiously doesn’t amount to all that much when it’s over, but that's okay. It goes down like a quick, fast food meal that has you hungry again within an hour. That could be because of the rushed (and somewhat forced) false crisis that occurs in the third act that’s become a trademark of every romantic comedy for the past twenty years. It feels somewhat fresher in Smith’s capable hands but still holds back a writer/director who I don’t believe for a second has given us his best film yet. It’s no Clerks or especially Clerks 2, but what is? And none of it is funnier than Smith’s own performance as Rick Rubin (or whoever that was) in Southland Tales, but again, how can anything be? Even when he’s essentially making a standard rom-com with vulgar wrapping around it he still outmatches most of the comedies we have out there.

It’s a shame Smith had to fight a battle to get this released under its proper title, edit it tirelessly to avoid the dreaded NC-17 designation, just to see it flop because the studio wouldn’t back it. I’m convinced if this were the late ‘90’s this film would get a massive release and a huge promotional push. When did we get so uptight? And yet again, the MPAA proves that they seem to have no problems showing graphic violence and torture just so long as no one’s having sex during it. After the burnout of Oscar season this was just the kind of movie I felt like seeing right now and a healthy reminder that we see movies primarily just to be entertained. That doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it really is. And Smith has always been one of the few filmmakers consistently able to give it to us with no strings attached.

Pineapple Express

Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride, Amber Heard, Gary Cole, Rosie Perez
Running Time: 110 min.
Rating: R

**** (out of ****)

Remember that scene in Dumb and Dumber when Harry found out Lloyd traded their sheepdog van for a little scooter and tells him just when he thought he couldn’t be stupider, he goes off and does that….and completely redeems himself. That would sum up my feelings for Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen right now. When Pineapple Express ended and that awesome Huey Lewis title song was blasting over the credits I was trying to figure out why I loved the film so much. Then it hit me. It was the first Apatow-produced comedy where I finally didn’t have to think why I enjoyed it. Even though the story it tells would seem to be at first glance very comfortable in the Apatow universe it lacks the lofty ambitions and inflated sense of self-importance that were holding all of his movies back. Freed from those shackles we’re finally allowed to let go and have fun, ironically resulting in the most substantial film his name has been attached to.

On paper the story looks familiar and the script doesn’t cover ground that’s completely unlike most Apatow projects so you have to believe the true difference maker here was the director, David Gordon Green. The acclaimed independent filmmaker best known for small-scale poetic dramas like George Washington, Undertow, All The Real Girls and the recent Snow Angels (which I’ve yet to see) was the oddest of directorial choices for this. More shocking than the fact that he was asked was that he took it, answering the question of what would happen if a gifted filmmaker of the highest rank were handed a dopey stoner comedy. In this case the results are astonishing, as he does the unthinkable in actually elevating the material to his level, providing an almost surreal viewing experience for those familiar or even unfamiliar with his other work.
Make no mistake about it. This isn’t a Judd Apatow comedy. It's actually very much a David Gordon Green film. And that’s why it works so well. He eliminates all the negative and self-indulgent qualities that have ran through most of Apatow’s previous output and focuses on what matters most: the laughs. Gone is the unnecessary exploration of characters’ feelings, an over-reliance on too realistic situations lacking humor, and messy, overlong third acts. Yes, I’m looking at you Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Knocked Up. Nothing about this feels the slightest bit like an Apatow movie and it’s the best thing that could have happened. For once, he picked the right guy who was able to do with this kind of comedy what none of his other directors-for-hire could: Stick a perfect landing. Every joke hits. Every performance works. The tone is dead-on and consistent. It also features the best action scenes of the year and a supporting turn from an actor worthy of having his name read alongside Heath Ledger’s when the five supporting actor nominees are announced next week. In a year full of big disappointments, Pineapple Express is exactly the right movie at the right time, raising the bar for its genre.

After a black-and-white prologue explaining the myth behind a rare strain of cannabis known as “Pineapple Express,” we’re introduced to 25-year-old process server Dale Denton (Rogen), a lazy slacker who when not “working” spends his days scoring weed from his dealer, Saul (James Franco) and visiting barely legal girlfriend, Angie (Amber Heard) at her high school. When Dale attempts to deliver a summons to a drug lord named Ted Jones (Gary Cole), he inadvertently witnesses Jones and a corrupt female police officer (Rosie Perez) murder an Asian gang member in cold blood. He clumsily flees the scene but not before leaving a damning piece of physical evidence: a roach containing the legendary “Pineapple Express.” Jones immediately identifies it and sends his two henchmen (Craig Robinson and Kevin Corrigan) to threaten Saul’s dealer Red (Danny McBride) into giving up the identity of the buyers. The chase is on and what unfolds is a nearly perfect action comedy that at times had me laughing so hard I was in physical pain.

The thing about stoner movies (at least the really good ones) is that their success depends on the degree in which the experience is effectively conveyed through the hazy worldview of its baked protagonists. Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle was able to do it, while at the same time, being a surprisingly deeper than expected buddy picture. This does all that, and then more. When stoned (so I’ve heard), everything takes on a greater importance and little everyday details are exaggerated to hilarious effect. That’s why in hindsight, Green, though untested in these waters, was actually the perfect director for this kind of material. He understands those little life details and it’s in those details where the best comedy comes from. This film is loaded with them. Take for instance a scene where Dale shows up at Angie’s high school in a suit to meet her. It doesn’t come off creepy as it would in the hands of another director, but funny. Green keeps a firm, tight grip over tone, something all Apatow movies have seemed to struggle with (some more than others). Or when he arrives for dinner with her parents (Ed Begley Jr. and Nora Dunn in hilarious cameos) and they’re not only not the slightest bit thrown by him or his situation, but insinuate themselves into it without missing a beat. Then they escalate it.

The entire plot reverses, subverts or distorts expectations at every turn and even if you didn’t know beforehand Green was the director you’d be able to tell. Relying on his usual cinematographer, Tim Orr, this movie by far boasts the highest production values of any Apatow entry. I couldn’t believe how good the movie looks for a comedy. It’s actually (insert gasp) a well-made motion picture that’s tightly edited and doesn’t needlessly fill time to sell unrated DVD’s. When it shifts into 80’s action territory it does so without missing a beat and succeeds where this summer’s Tropic Thunder couldn’t in milking graphic gore for comedy.
Besides earning laughs instead of winces, Green proves that if he ever wanted to he could quit directing human dramas right now and move on to big budget action vehicles. Michael Bay would have to watch his back because this film’s thrilling action send-up finale could easily compete with the best action sequences of the past few years. How often can you praise the technical aspects of a comedy? It also felt so nice to not be looking at my watch wondering why it isn’t over yet. An Apatow movie that isn't too long! Finally!

If there’s a reoccurring theme that’s prevalent (sometimes too much so) in the movies either written, directed or produced by Apatow it’s of man-children being forced to grow up and take responsibility. Except this time it’s a little different. Whereas all those other films felt the unnecessary need to tell us they were about that this one just IS ABOUT IT. For a change, Apatow wasn’t on the couch with me as I watched, shaking me and telling me what to feel. Even with the 40-Year-Old Virgin and Superbad (my two favorites) I still felt the strings being pulled just a little bit. Not here. Much of that credit goes to Green, but the rest of it goes to Rogen and Franco.

Just look at Franco during this film. Look at his eyes. He’s gone. He must have gotten completely fried in the trailer before stepping onto the set. For insurance purposes though I’ll assume he didn’t, which means his Saul is the most indelible cinematic stoner since Sean Penn’s Spicolli in Fast Times At Ridgemont High. Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise’s supporting turns in Tropic Thunder were hilarious but that’s the extent of it. I never got the impression that there were three-dimensional people under those disguises. That’s what separates Franco’s performance from theirs and why he deserves the Oscar slot one (or both) may get. There’s an underlying sweetness and humanity to the character that’s rare to this kind of comedy and not many actors could have subtly projected it while still surrendering to the absurd zaniness around them.

As for Rogen, I was surprised just how refreshingly laid-back and charming he was as the lead. His ability to carry a film up until now was questionable but he proves the doubters wrong here with his most assured performance. Most would have expected each actor to be playing the role the other is but once again a clever reversal of those preconceived expectations yields shockingly effective results. This is the first time Rogen and Franco have shared the screen since they co-starred in Apatow’s dearly missed cult TV series Freaks and Geeks and also the only time since where what made each stand out on it is translated in its entirety to the big screen. The talented McBride perfectly completes the trifecta as the conniving, but ultimately very likable Red, stealing every scene he’s in, specifically the most important ones.
I watch comedies to laugh, not be burdened by characters’ life problems. How is it that Green, who up until now specialized in films dealing entirely with serious life problems, is the only director who gets it? It’s probably because he understands human relationships and knew enough not to force the issue and let Rogen and Franco do their thing, trusting the cards to fall into place. They did. I cared about these guys and by the end (if not before that) their friendship means something and finally the high water mark these Apatow comedies have been reaching for is met. This is the one I’ve been waiting for from him, he just needed to find the right filmmaker to execute it. Green seamlessly makes the transition to the mainstream leaving no independently honed skill behind. It's the antithesis of “selling out.”

When the film concludes, Pulp Fiction-style, in a diner over breakfast with the perpetually stoned characters discussing the insane events that transpired in the film you realize just how smart Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s script really was. How it subverted expectations and how the characters are, in a way, us. They tell the story how we would and realize how fun it is that they were involved in it. The myth told at the beginning is officially replaced by theirs. It’s the first movie for stoners as envisioned by stoners, yet you don’t have be one to enjoy it (though I’m betting it couldn’t hurt). Rich enough in details, it should hold up very well in subsequent viewings and amass a cult following, as if it hasn’t already. As days have passed I still can’t stop quoting it and laughing at certain scenes. Pineapple Express is the rare comedy you can love and it will love you back.