First of all, I love the title “Dinner For Schmucks” because it tells exactly what the movie is about. Dictionary.com defines “schmuck” as a “noun-slang- an obnoxious and despicable person.” Steve Carell (“The Office”) is both funny and obnoxious as Barry in the film, but not despicable.
Oddly, the word schmuck wasn’t used in the movie itself, but idiot was. The movie has a strange premise -- executives from a financial company invite weird people, or idiots, to dinner to make fun of them.
Rising executive Tim, played Paul Rudd (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”), is invited to the exclusive dinner -- but he must find an idiot. He tells his girlfriend, Julie, played Stephanie Szostak (“The Devil Wears Prada”), about the dinner. She makes him feel guilty for even thinking of attending. But the dinner will be good for his career.
As Tim is driving and talking on his cell phone, he hits Barry, who jumps in the street to save a dead mouse. We find out that Barry is a budding taxidermist. His mouse art is very good.
The movie has a lot of characters, with Zach Galifinanakis (“The Hangover”) as Therman, a strange IRS agent with supposed mind power; Darla, played by Lucy Punch (“The Class”), is Tim’s crazy stalker; Jermaine Clement (who, like Carell, did a voice in “Despicable Me”) plays an egomaniacal artist, Kieran.
Director Jay Roach (“Austin Powers,” “Meet the Fockers”) knows how to do comedy well, and he continues his streak with this movie.
Rudd and Carell are hilarious together. Carell looks crazed as Barry when he is on screen. Rudd’s straight-faced confusion makes you feel sorry for him, but you laugh anyway.
“Dinner For Schmucks” is overboard in reality but right on course for laughs. If you are starving for comedy, you need to attend “Dinner for Schmucks.”
edited by Michele Ristich Gatts
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