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Stuck on You | ||||
R E V I E W B Y R I C H C L I N E |
dir-scr Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly with Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Eva Mendes, Cher, Wen Yann Shih, Griffin Dunne, Meryl Streep, Terence Bernie Hines, Seymour Cassel, Ray Valliere, Pat Crawford Brown, Frankie Muniz release US 12.Dec.03; UK 2.Jan.04 Fox 03/US 1h59 He ain't heavy: Shih, Damon and Kinnear. | |||
While this is technically a comedy, the humour is very understated. Audiences may be put off by a script that's just a bit too progressive and intelligent for its own good. The best gags are inside jokes about Hollywood and filmmaking. There are only a few gut-wrenching laughs, and even the jokes about conjoined twins are more cerebral than slapstick. The Farrellys continue to put various disabilities on screen, never asking us to laugh at people, which gives the film an odd dignity you don't expect. That said, the film is consistently smile-worthy, with rapid-fire wit that almost slips under the radar. The cast is rather uneven--sometimes too broad, sometimes rather amateurish and gimmicky--but Damon and Kinnear are charming at the centre. Their interaction is funny, inventive and touching, although perhaps a little dull. The best bits are reserved for stars playing themselves (Cher, Streep, Dunne and others), all of whom hilariously undermine their carefully honed images. In the end, the film is surprisingly sweet and sentimental. And it's interesting to note the similarities with their first film, Dumb & Dumber, which was also a paean to the lifelong bond between two men (albeit a lot, well, dumber). This is a surprisingly well-made film ... but it might not be funny enough for audiences wanting that manic Farrelly vibe.
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Jennifer Belcher, Surrey: "Really funny feel-good movie. Have you seen the ghost under the bed in the first five minutes?" (11.May.04) | ||||
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