Gilbert Films,
Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Poehler, Laura Ramsey, Jenna Fischer
Ben Baker (Zach Galifianakis) is a severely bi-polar character who has always been best friends with Steve Dallas (Owen Wilson), a selfish, womanizing, greedy, weatherman who hangs around with Ben, but we get the feeling it’s more about what he can get rather than what he can give. When Ben’s long estranged father dies suddenly, Ben and Steve go on a road trip back to the small town for the funeral because Ben is not able to deal with it himself. But things get rather complicated when Ben’s new step-mother Angela (Laura Ramsey) turns out to be very young and very hot, and willing to stay a while longer with Ben and Steve while they work things out.
This is a character study, and really a comedy more than anything, but a bit more complex than most if this genre. With the cast here, including Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Poehler, Jenna Fisher, and Edwin Herrmann and more, there is certainly no shortage of talent here. There are a lot of clinkers on the “Watch Instantly” category on Netflix, but this one was actually a class film. Watching Zach’s complete transformation in the film is unreal, and I don’t think I’ve seen that character before. The story is very well told, and much more impressive than I ever expected. It’s fast moving, and really funny most of the way through with a little heart. There are lots of lessons to be learned without realizing it. When should the friendship be over, or should it continue, and if not, who ought to break it off? Steve is really nearly incapable of functioning and depends on Ben to make his life possible. He lives on Steve’s couch in a rather useless life. But could it be that Ben is really the one who is leaching off Steve? We really learn to dislike the way Ben acts, especially as things get complicated, and it’s a complex issue that will leave you thinking. This was a worthwhile film, and though rated R for mostly the bad language and a few short, but rather raw bedroom scenes, this isn’t a film for kids. It’s truly for people who are able to handle the drug and alcohol abuse and the reckless sexual behavior, but for mature audiences, I felt after all that this was a worthwhile film. I enjoyed it.
EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog
