Dinner for Schmucks

People can really be mean. Laughing at the misfortunes of others is usually frowned upon by today's so-called politically correct society, yet some unscrupulous individuals still take joy in mocking those around them. Whether this be for egotistical purposes or just for shits and giggles, it's still immoral. And it's this socially unacceptable behaviour that's the main course in Jay Roach's Dinner for Schmucks, an American remake of the French comedy Le Diner De Cons.

Like the acclaimed original, the plot revolves around a dinner game in which arrogant attendees bring the dumbest person (or schmuck) they can find so that everyone else can participate in making fun of them. The winner is the one who manages to bring the guest considered the most moronic out of the idiosyncratic bunch.

Tim Conrad (Paul Rudd) is an ambitious executive who is invited to one of these alleged "dinners for winners" by his appropriately douchey boss, Lance Fender (Bruce Greenwood). He soon learns that it is actually, of course, a dinner for idiots and will win him a promotion if he comes out victorious at the weekend event. However, his girlfriend Julie (Stephanie Szostak), as well as his conscience, tells him to not go ahead with it, to which he agrees.

This is until he accidentally runs over Barry Speck (Steve Carell) with his car while Barry is attempting to retrieve an already dead mouse from the road. Turns out this oddball recreates famous events and paintings as little display pieces using taxidermied rodents, which may sound Norman Bates-ish kinda creepy, but it is pretty cute and precious.

Thus, Tim now has the perfect candidate to bring to the dinner and the two almost immediately become friends. What follows is a slow lead-up to the special occasion, with a clueless Barry tangling up and clumsily complicating Tim's life over the course of just two days. Y'know, typical screwball stuff.

This is a great premise which practically paves the way for a flamboyant barrage of laughs, but the execution feels slightly lacklustre. The titter-inspiring jokes, which seem to be inspired by Judd Apatow productions, are sadly quite infrequent, but there are a few gags present which should arouse a laugh from viewers. They are few and far between, however, so I wouldn't go in expecting a laugh-a-second romp.

This is odd, as it's director Jay Roach who helmed the ingenious Austin Powers trilogy, the priceless Meet the Parents and its gut-busting sequel Meet the Fockers, each of which were pitch perfect comedy gold. His direction is fairly decent here, it's just that the script, although containing some nice dialogue, needs a little polish to fit in more gags.

Saying that, there are certain scenes which made me laugh out loud, as spread out as they were. A sequence where Barry sneakily goes on Tim's computer and starts instant messaging with the latter's nutso stalker (Lucy Punch) is highly humorous, as well as when this stalker comes to Tim's apartment and violently wreaks havoc.

There's also Therman Murch (The Hangover star Zach Galifianakis), Barry's dick of a rival who supposedly has mind-controlling powers. Galifianakis' performance is mesmerisingly eccentric, with his character almost stealing the show. I loved him.

Paul Rudd is a meritable leading man, making his character an appealing one with his Rudd-ish charm. Sure, this role isn't a big stretch for him personality-wise, but I nonetheless enjoyed his performance. For the majority of the film, we are meant to feel sorry for Tim as his life gradually deteriorates at the hands of Barry, so likabilty is necessary and here it is convincing enough.

Carell's character continually alters between being the most annoying human being on the face of the earth and the sweetest person you'll ever see. Truth is, as excruciating as he can be, it's difficult to hate him. Although I feel that Carell overacts in a few scenes, he is suitable for the role and clearly has fun with this weird character.

Barry's talents also make for a fantastic opening titles sequence, consisting of a charming montage as we watch him construct an extravagant, small-scale landscape filled with tiny, stuffed rodents. The song "Fool on the Hill" (very subtle) by The Beatles plays in what is a nice starter for the film.

The climactic dinner scene, which of course the whole audience has been eagerly anticipating, is certainly the best part of the film, or at least it was for me. We meet many obscure characters, each with their own strange talents and quirks which I won't give away. I wouldn't want to spoil the film's pudding.

As a comedy, Dinner for Schmucks is a bit of a fail. But as a simple piece of light entertainment, it's acceptable. Although inadequate in the laughs department, it nevertheless held my interest for the most part due to Rudd and Carell's performances. It's just that the script needs an extra topping for it to be served in a more satisfying manner. All I ask of Jay Roach is to give Galifianakis his own spin-off. Please.

6/10