Looking for a scapegoat of political satire, witty humor? Look no further
Chris Moskaly
Issue date: 11/6/09 Section: Reviews
When it comes to dark comedy and satire, the payoff of any film usually rests on how the main performances are handled. Using four big-name thespians who have all either won or been nominated for gold in the past, Heslov gets plenty of help from his fame-and-fortune leads.
The problem however, is that while he puts a lot of comedic emphasis on each of the supporting characters, all the developmental expectations we have for the main protagonist are practically kicked to the curb. In the opening narration, McGregor assumes his role just enough to convince us that Wilton is a real reporter with a serious problem, but as soon as the dimwitted Cassady is introduced, Wilton becomes nothing more than the "brains" of an operation led by an otherwise far more engaging buffoon.
The bigger story though, is the drop dead hilarious performance of Bridges. It's been a long time since "The Dude" had me going like this, but it's always a pleasure when you see a fat-bellied guy with long hair try to be serious when no one else will take him seriously. And the funniest part is, this time, he didn't need a bowling ball or a urine-stained rug to make us believe he is the real deal.
As I drove home from the screening, I said to myself at one point, "that movie was good, but wouldn't it have been better under the wing of the Coens?" I still can't answer that observation and probably won't be able to until I get the public reaction. Some critics may argue that underneath all the sporadic satire and goofiness, there is still a message to be heard in Heslov's debut film. But in all honesty, the only message I garnered was: "keep making all these wasteful political films, and you just might do one like this ... without realizing it has an IQ less than that of the animal in its title."
The problem however, is that while he puts a lot of comedic emphasis on each of the supporting characters, all the developmental expectations we have for the main protagonist are practically kicked to the curb. In the opening narration, McGregor assumes his role just enough to convince us that Wilton is a real reporter with a serious problem, but as soon as the dimwitted Cassady is introduced, Wilton becomes nothing more than the "brains" of an operation led by an otherwise far more engaging buffoon.
The bigger story though, is the drop dead hilarious performance of Bridges. It's been a long time since "The Dude" had me going like this, but it's always a pleasure when you see a fat-bellied guy with long hair try to be serious when no one else will take him seriously. And the funniest part is, this time, he didn't need a bowling ball or a urine-stained rug to make us believe he is the real deal.
As I drove home from the screening, I said to myself at one point, "that movie was good, but wouldn't it have been better under the wing of the Coens?" I still can't answer that observation and probably won't be able to until I get the public reaction. Some critics may argue that underneath all the sporadic satire and goofiness, there is still a message to be heard in Heslov's debut film. But in all honesty, the only message I garnered was: "keep making all these wasteful political films, and you just might do one like this ... without realizing it has an IQ less than that of the animal in its title."
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