The Movie Press
  • Movie Reviews
  • Twitter News/Updates
  • News & Notes
  • DVD
  • Box Office Results
  • Contact
  • About Us

Through the "Ringer"

1/16/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
What can I say? I laughed at this shitty movie. Sophomoric, dumb, toggling between sexism and/or asinine gay jokes, the film is despicable for any number of obvious reasons. But sometimes it’s feels nice to not be consumed with the pretensions of criticism. I’d be foolish to concoct a defense for the more offensive aspects of Wedding Ringer, but I’ll lay it all out there and you can decide. 

The Wedding Ringer has been in the hopper for more than 13 years, originally a Vince Vaughn project that slipped into development hell. Swap out Vaughn’s slacker charm for Kevin Hart’s high-octane swagger, and you’ve got a product ready for the open market. The premise is simple: Kevin Hart is Jimmy Callahan, who runs a business where schlubs with no friends can hire his services as a best man. He’ll be the life of the party, toast giver extraordinaire, probably smush a bridesmaid, and disappear from your life ever after.

Enter Josh Gad as Doug Harris, a man so devoid of friends in his life he has to hire Jimmy to pull off the unthinkable “Golden Tux.” Basically, Jimmy has to construct an entire cast of groomsmen complete with lifelong friendships out of thin air. And—record scratch—they only have two weeks to pull it off! Madcap scenarios ensue with Jimmy reminding Doug all along it’s just a business relationship. Gee, I sure hope those two learn a thing or two about love and friendship along the way. So, yeah, pretty dumb, right? At the very least, something you've seen before. 

Well, in that vein, it’s worth pointing out the efficiency of the script. With 13 years to write and re-write, this is a lean 101 minutes of goofs and yuk-yuks. We open on Doug, establish he’s a loser, cut to Jimmy rendering his best man services, introduce the bride, prop-up the central conflict, introduce Doug to Jimmy, and all in the first 20 minutes. Soon after they set-up our rouge’s gallery of groomsmen, plug through the standard five to seven bits that hold any comedy of this ilk together, and boom, you’re at the credits. I mean…downright economical.

As for the film’s content, it undoubtedly feels like it’s from 13 years ago. There are certain attitudes even today’s bro-centric comedies have moved beyond. For example, the slew of gay jokes. None of them are cruel or judgmental—in fact Jimmy and company appear to have a number of gay friends—but more of a giggling-behind-the-hand at the thought of two dudes making sex. It’s not a positive, but what are you willing to reconcile? Lest we forget the now cringe worthy “You know how I know you’re gay scene,” from 40 Year Old Virigin. A far superior film, sure, but a very unflattering moment for Apatow and company. As for the female characters, let’s just say this picture does not pass the Bechdel test and leave it at that.

So, what could I even slightly enjoy about The Wedding Ringer? I’m beginning to wilt a bit myself, but it boils down to Hart and Gad, and they’re great together. These are two actors I’ve never really cared for all that much, but they work very well together. Gad might be the best broad “straight man” running these days, and Hart’s need to carry the load with relentless, hammy mugging is decreased accordingly. They fit together in a way I never expected, and it was enough to generate a tide of, “pleasant surprise.”

Admittedly, the bits the producers/writers probably think are the funniest—flaming grandma, dog with peanut butter, old guys vs whippersnappers football game—are the least rewarding. It’s the quieter moments—Jewish funeral, dance sequence, building the fake relationships—where the Wedding Ringer finds its earnestness and humor. The ratio of solid moments to eye-roll inducing broad comedy isn’t favorable, but it’s close enough to justify a why behind this picture.

Am I saying you should rush to the theater? No. What about when it’s, like, in the dollar theater off the interstate? Not…really. Not unless it’s a "Wednesday afternoon off of work" type situation. You know when this movie will be perfect? Let it find you on some hungover Sunday. Horizontal on the couch, surveying the wreckage of fast food wrappers and poor, half-remembered choices, let it wash over you. You might laugh a bit. No one will be there to judge you, and heck, you know I’ll never tell.

—Monte Monreal


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    October 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    July 2018
    June 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008

    Categories

    All
    Austin Film Festival
    Darcie Duttweiler Reviews
    Derrick Mitcham Reviews
    Eric Harrelson Reviews
    Eric Pulsifer Reviews
    Eric Pulsifer Reviews
    Fantastic Fest
    Greg Maclennan Reviews
    Greg Wilson Reviews
    Jessica Hixson Reviews
    Mark Collins Reviews
    Monte Monreal Reviews
    Reviews
    Rob Heidrick Reviews
    Rob Heidrick Reviews
    Sxsw

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.