I recorded this on television a while back, as I'm a huge fan of Simon Pegg's work and was interested to see him work with David Schwimmer, who directed Run Fatboy Run (another somewhat decent Pegg film).
As previously mentioned, the cast is comprised of some pretty good lead actors (in my opinion), so I don't have much to complain about in the acting department.
The cinematography and editing is also somewhat unique and makes for an interesting watch, although I remember one car drive sequence appearing somewhat jittery and all over the place.
This film's biggest strength (other than the acting) lies mostly in the comedic writing. This film has some rather funny situational humour with a black subtext to it all, however it's definitely an acquired taste. Pegg and Schwimmer act out the material well and their delivery is, at times, extremely hilarious.
The actual plot, however, shifts in tone dramatically and introduces a few too many plot twists. Some of these twists help carry the story forward or introduce another comedic sequence, but there were others that also felt unnecessary or tacked-on. At times it feels like issues with writing, whereas at other times it feels like a directorial issue.
**MILD SPOILER ALERT**
Without spoiling too much, I also found the ending to be rather bitter and somewhat unsatisfying. I left this film feeling rather depressed due to what happens to certain characters.
Nonetheless, this film is a decent watch. It's definitely not great and not a highlight of any of the star's careers, but it is most definitely an interesting film, and personally one I am going to revisit to understand further.
As previously mentioned, the cast is comprised of some pretty good lead actors (in my opinion), so I don't have much to complain about in the acting department.
The cinematography and editing is also somewhat unique and makes for an interesting watch, although I remember one car drive sequence appearing somewhat jittery and all over the place.
This film's biggest strength (other than the acting) lies mostly in the comedic writing. This film has some rather funny situational humour with a black subtext to it all, however it's definitely an acquired taste. Pegg and Schwimmer act out the material well and their delivery is, at times, extremely hilarious.
The actual plot, however, shifts in tone dramatically and introduces a few too many plot twists. Some of these twists help carry the story forward or introduce another comedic sequence, but there were others that also felt unnecessary or tacked-on. At times it feels like issues with writing, whereas at other times it feels like a directorial issue.
**MILD SPOILER ALERT**
Without spoiling too much, I also found the ending to be rather bitter and somewhat unsatisfying. I left this film feeling rather depressed due to what happens to certain characters.
Nonetheless, this film is a decent watch. It's definitely not great and not a highlight of any of the star's careers, but it is most definitely an interesting film, and personally one I am going to revisit to understand further.