“DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS” review

Review of film:  “DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS”

MPAA Rating:  PG-13

MY rating:  9.00 stars (of a possible 10, based on an advance screening).

                         ATTENDANCE at this Dinner is MANDATORY for Comedy Lovers

            In 1998, Francis Veber wrote & directed a French farce called “The Dinner Game (Le diner de cons)”.  This film is called an “adaptation” of that idea, & I found it exceptionally funny and well-done:

…  Tim (played by PAUL RUDD) is an eager-beaver at a "rodent-infested" Financial advisory firm filled with RATS who tend to back-stab anyone that might affect their future income.  His boss at the Fender company (BRUCE GREENWOOD) enjoys playing with peoples’ lives and putting-down the many “lesser” creatures he finds scurrying around his rich-mens’ world…

…  To try to win a highly-coveted promotion which he feels will entice his love Julie (STEPHANIE SZOSTACK) to finally accept his marriage proposal, Paul tells Bruce his idea to try to win-over a rich new Swiss client named Müeller (DAVID WALLIAMS)…

…  Before he agrees that’s a good idea, Bruce wants Paul to further “PROVE” himself worthy of an upper-level job by attending a dinner in which he brings a guest that will impress the others as being the biggest IDIOT (schmuck) at the gathering.  In other words, he & his cohorts want people they can make FUN of in their superior way, & the guy who brings the biggest “loser” to the dinner will be the biggest “WINNER” of the evening (& thus likely to “move on up” at the company)…

 …  Paul chances to “run across” a very ECCENTRIC IRS employee named Barry (STEVE CARELL) whose hobby is creating fanciful human-like diorama / vignettes utilizing taxidermied MICE posed in charming but strange ways…

…  His girlfriend Julie wants to “curate” shows for outlandish artist Kieran Vollard (JEMAINE CLEMENT), & she is very much TURNED-OFF by the idea that Paul would stoop so low as to trick someone (namely, Steve) to attend the planned dinner at Bruce’s…

… Paul finds that, while Steve is sort of “RIGHT” for being his guest at Bruce’s party, he’s not just off-center but decidedly WACKY in the ways he often goes about things in life.  Steve (with no malice intended) chances to facilitate Paul’s being STALKED by a violent ex-lover named Darla (LUCY PUNCH), which causes additional upsets in Paul’s relationship with Stephanie (especially when Steve chances to get Paul involved with artist Jemaine)…

…  Various other nutty characters enter the picture, such as Steve’s IRS boss, “Mind-control” guru Therman (ZACH GALIFIANAKIS), additional kinky guests brought to Bruce’s dinner by other company employees, etc….

…  There’s an inspired NUTTINESS to it all, both during the main film & in a number of “postscript” comments “updating” you on things as the CREDITS roll.  Unlike so many other American comedies nowadays, this one is NOT rife with constant sexual activity or gross-out comments.  I found it to be a wonderfully well-played whimsical “commentary” on the “unusual” characters we at times meet upon life’s journey…

…  Rather than being filled with “clever” lines, it’s more of a “slice-of-life” character-&-situation-driven hilarity, with exceptional performances by Steve (who has a “sweetness” to his goofiness) & Paul (who does another masterful job playing an understated “straight-man” as he did in “I Love You, Man”), with fine and funny work by those in the supporting cast…

…  A number of people might find the whole story “silly”.  But, I found it an often-brilliant piece of ensemble comic work, and I both enjoyed & respected the success in which they “pulled-off” the achievement…