Film Review “Dinner with Schmucks”

Directed by: Jay Roach
Starring: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Jemaine Clement, Jeff Dunham, Bruce Greenwood, Ron Livingston
Paramount Pictures/DreamWorks
Rating: PG-13
Running time: 114 minutes

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

“Dinner with Schmucks”, directed by Jay Roach and stars Steve Carell and Paul Rudd, sounds like an instant comedy hit…right? No. The film has quite a few good laughs…and then nothing much after that. It is hard when a film has a better supporting cast performances than the main cast. Saving grace for the film besides the supporting cast is the supporting supporting cast (I guess?), Barry’s mice diorama’s. That credit needs to go to The Chiodo Brothers (“Killer Klowns from Outer Space”) for creating the best joke in the whole film and stealing the show.

The main joke in the film is that in order to get promoted to a higher job, Tim (Paul Rudd) needs to bring an idiot to dinner with the bosses to make fun of. His idiot is Barry (Steve Carell). That much happens in the first 15 minutes. After that we are left with a long strung out joke that Barry is making Tim’s life hell prior to attending the dinner and it gets old fast. Steve Carell does his job well…he plays an idiot. Though the character gets boring after the first few jokes and grow weary. It is always great to watch Paul Rudd lead the show but in this film he is overshadowed by the supporting cast. Jemaine Clement from “Flight of the Concords” and the upcoming “Men in Black III” plays Kieran, an artist who has the hots for Tim’s girlfriend. Jemaine is really broadening out his comedy beyond “Conchords” and proving that he can really take the lead. David Walliams from UK’s “Little Britain” is a riot as Müeller, the saving grace client for Tim’s company. But my highest regards go to Barry’s mind controlling co-worker, Therman portrayed by the amazingly funny, Zach Galifianakis. His character really wins every scene he is in and I wish he was in it more. On a low note, the absolutely worst part of the whole film was Tim’s stalker girl Darla, played by Lucy Punch. The character seriously made me consider walking out.

To sum, the film is funny don’t get me wrong but the laughs are too spread out and filled with too many unfunny moments to make it all work well. I must admit I am not really a Steve Carell fan but I was open minded going in but it didn’t work for me. If you were curious to see the film and can just focus on the supporting cast and The Chiodo Brothers mice dioramas creations, you will enjoy it. If not take a pass. If they could take the movie keep the beginning and the end, I would be recommending this no question. I would though recommend the original 1998 French film from “The Dinner Game”, that is one funny movie!