A.k.a. “The Bateman-McCarthy” show. The story was interesting. From script and directing perspectives, very poor. Producers hired the wrong people to write the jokes. The vast majority really doesn’t compel anybody with a minimal sense of comedy to laugh hard or even react to them. In a scale from 0 to 10, I’d rate each of those categories with a 2. Now if we turn our attention to Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy, I’ll raise up the grade to a close 10. Their chemistry is what makes the movie worth watching. Bateman plays the usual average guy, family man who goes through some “technical difficulties” in life. He’s forced to leave his comfort zone and learn how to do things differently. That has been his typical role (don’t think Dodgeball). Yet, somehow, he manages to put up a good show. It’s repetitive, but not boring or unoriginal. McCarthy is a one-woman show apart. She’s hilarious but also very convincing during the very few dramatic moments. Even her fast-paced rhythm is already something to be humorous. Her body language is subtly suggestive in every scene. Identify Thief also had me at the unpredictability of the situations. One thinks road trip, couple, southeastern-American stereotypes etc. Yes, there are a few of those, but things don’t turn out to be what they are. Well, the end does. In-between is what makes a good comedy. It’s also good to mention that, for a comedy, there were some well known Hollywood faces. Jason Patrick is always awesome, either killing people as Terminator 2’s T-1000, being killed (Safe House), and now making you laugh as a not-so-efficient hit man. Jon Favreau has a cameo in it playing “himself”: a bossy, grumpy, cranky, douche bag boss. There’s also Amanda Peet in a very different role (but equally not as good ) from what she used to play in the 90’s / early 2000’s. One day, I look forward to seeing Melissa McCarthy acting with Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig once again and add Paul Rudd and Jason Bateman to same cast. I can’t think of a more riotous mix for a comedy.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 04:11:04 +0000
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