Film Reviews

Hall Pass

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Jason Sudeikis
• Details: US/104mins 16

In almost return to form for the siblings who brought us the laugh-a-minute brilliance of Dumb and Dumber and Kingpin, Hall Pass is an amusing if never uproariously funny comedy. Owen Wilson has always been a likeable presence on screen, but he's never really been the man to deliver killer gags - almost always playing an uncomfortable slant on the 'straight man.' Here, Saturday Night Live star Jason Sudeikis is the funny bone, and the comedian shows potential. But the film's funniest moment comes courtesy of Stephen Merchant in a post-credits sequence.
Owen and Sudiekis are two married 40ish men, who yearn for their single life once more. When their wives (Fischer and Applegate) get sick of their inappropriate conversations and behaviour and give them a 'hall pass,' or a week off marriage to do whatever they want, the lads are beside themselves with excitement. But instead of being knee deep in babes, they seem to be getting laid even less as single men. Will they learn a valuable life lesson and act like grownups? Will Christina Applegate now get cast in a role other than the whiny wife? Time will tell...
As amiable a presence as Wilson is, I still don't really buy him carrying this type of film. He isn't 'leading man' enough to play the straight centre, but doesn't have the comedic brawn to deliver the laughs solo. He's basically in a no man's land of acting, and surely picks up the scraps from the likes of Paul Rudd and Steve Carrell. Doesn't make him a bad actor, just a strangely miscellaneous one. 'Dupree' is backed up well by Sudeikis, who seems a natural at improvising; a more apt character and he could've been hilarious. The SNL star is yet to bag that breakout role, but certainly has the ability to bag laughs.
The Farrelly's have never recaptured that lightening in a bottle brilliance of 'Dumber' - maybe their problem is they've been trying too hard to do just that. Their gross-up humour has now been upstaged by the likes of Judd Apatow and Todd Phillips. While they're attempting to make a relatively adult relationship comedy here, most of the elements feel regurgitated. Even the great Richard Jenkins turning up towards the end as an ageing swinger feels like a Will Ferrell cameo from a different film.
If you can ignore the hackneyed attempts at a plot, and slightly uneven balance of (kind of) realistic and slapstick characters, then you should still get a few laughs out of Hall Pass.

Review by Mike Sheridan