by Nat Almirall, Nov 4 2011 // 9:00 AM
The best performance in Tower Heist comes not from its most bankable stars Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy, rather it’s the nervously underplayed schlub Mr. Fitzhugh, an out-of-work stockbroker played by Matthew Broderick, who’s channeling parts of Bob Newhart and parts of Bert Lahr’s Cowardly Lion. Director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour) tends toward broad comedy, but the funniest bits by far are Broderick’s subtle squeaks of concern.
There’s a scene early on when he’s being evicted from his apartment. The living room is completely empty save for two tents. Broderick explains to the building manager that he’s sold all the furniture. “I told the kids we’re going green,” he gives a resigned shrug, “my kids aren’t very smart.”
The manager is Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller), who’s been working at the building for years and is the golden boy of its owner Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), a Madoff-inspired Wall Streeter who, we learn, has taken the employees’ pensions and either stolen them or made some really bad investments (the movie never really makes it clear, but since he’s rich, he’s automatically bad, I guess). The Feds, led by the sexy Claire Denham (Tea Leoni) naturally swoop in to cart off Shaw for some SEC violations, leaving little hope for the tower employees to recover their life savings.
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Posted in: Comedy · Movies · Reviews · Universal Pictures
Tagged: Alan Alda, Ben Stiller, Brett Ratner, Casey Affleck, Eddie Murphy, Gabourey Sidibe, Jeff Nathanson, Judd Hirsch, Matthew Broderick, Michael Peña, Tea Leoni, Ted Griffin
by Matt Raub, Nov 4 2011 // 7:30 AM
There are certain comedy sub-genres that have either become parodies of themselves or just lost in Instant Netflix obscurity. Genres like the college comedy, the buddy cop comedy, and most importantly, the road comedy are among these. Something about protagonists finding themselves through an adventurous road trip has a certain amount of majesty to it.
Thankfully, comedy gurus David Wain and Ken Marino, best known as prime members of The State, have not forgotten the wonder of the road comedy, as the first trailer for Wanderlust has hit the web. The film stars Paul Rudd and (unfortunately) Jennifer Aniston as two workaholics living in New York City that decide to embark on a journey across the country to find themselves, and some pretty zany characters along the way.
If the writing style of Wain and Marino (the same minds that brought you Role Models) isn’t enough to get you into this flick, the massive cast of cameos should help. You can look forward to seeing actors like Justin Theroux, Malin Akerman, Alan Alda, Kathryn Hahn, Melissa Joan Hart, Ray Liotta, Reba McEntire, and Kerri Kenney-Silver in the film, just to name a few.
So before you pass judgment, check out the new trailer after the jump! Wanderlust is set to hit theaters on March 24th, 2012.
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Posted in: Casting · Comedy · Movies · News · Trailers · Video
Tagged: Alan Alda, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Therous, Kathryn Hahn, Malin Akerman, Melissa Joan Hart, Movie Trailer, Paul Rudd, Ray Liotta, Reba McEntire, Universal Pictures, Wanderlust