I know Ben Stiller was trying to do the right thing here - his performance shows it. He plays a great junkie, and it's very convincing.
UNFORTUNATELY, the rest of the film is PURE garbage. Period. Maria Bello is a fine actress - but her part is ALL WRONG. Allow me to wonder out loud - ANYONE READ THE G**DAMN BOOK? Jerry Stahl led a pitiful existence - both as a junkie and a TV writer (the joke is, of course, which is worse?)- but his book was totally BUTCHERED.
Which, going back to Stiller, is a shame; Ben put a lot into the acting - but who was asleep at the wheel on the REST of the production? Stiller meant well by getting the project off the ground, but it's a TERRIBLE shame that the book will have to battle and outlive this pile of rubbish.
UNFORTUNATELY, the rest of the film is PURE garbage. Period. Maria Bello is a fine actress - but her part is ALL WRONG. Allow me to wonder out loud - ANYONE READ THE G**DAMN BOOK? Jerry Stahl led a pitiful existence - both as a junkie and a TV writer (the joke is, of course, which is worse?)- but his book was totally BUTCHERED.
Which, going back to Stiller, is a shame; Ben put a lot into the acting - but who was asleep at the wheel on the REST of the production? Stiller meant well by getting the project off the ground, but it's a TERRIBLE shame that the book will have to battle and outlive this pile of rubbish.