Downhill

First Hit: Despite an excellent performance by Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Billie, this film goes downhill because of Will Ferrell as Pete.

Most of you who have read this blog know that I’m not a big Will Ferrell fan. It was in this film that he shows how incapable he is of showing a depth of character. He had the opportunity to show real wisdom in this role, and with a partner like Louis-Dreyfus, who serves as an incredible, intense foil in this film, he didn’t show up. Just as he didn’t show up as the character struggling about his marriage in this film.

The story is about Billie, Pete, and their two sons Finn and Emerson, on a once in lifetime ski trip in the Alps. There is a slight tension as they check into the hotel revealed by Billie’s tense facial expressions.

As the film wears on, there are moments when this tension subsides momentarily, but the marital discord becomes clear when Billie has to keep reminding Pete to get off the phone and quit texting his workmate Zach (Zach Woods) and Zach’s new girlfriend Rosie (Zoe Chao). You get the sense that he’s jealous of Zach.

When a controlled avalanche barrels down on the lodge deck where they are sitting down to eat, Pete runs away from his family out of panic. Leaving Billie to wrap her arms around Finn and Emerson protecting them from the snow crashing around them.

Pete’s running away becomes the elephant in the room until they have cocktails with Rosie and Zach. Billie tells the story, and Pete tries to defend his behavior, which erupts into a huge fight bringing their marriage issues to the table.

Here is where Ferrell’s failings as a dramatic actor come to fore. When the camera focuses on him and the expression in his narrowly spaced eyes, there isn’t much at home. He’s like a child, and the audience realizes what Billie has been dealing with, raising three children, not two.

As a side note, this is a remake of “Force Majeure”, a film I saw in 2014, which was better in many ways.

Louis-Dreyfus is fantastic in this film. I’ve never seen her act in a dramatic role, and she excels here. She has a very expressive face, and it tells the story as you need to know it. Ferrell is like a man child. He has minimal range, and his previous role as an overgrown santa helper in Elf, probably fits him perfectly. Miranda Otto (Charlotte), as the hotel representative who tries to give Billie advice about living her life more fully, is hilarious. Jesse Armstrong and Nat Faxon wrote a good screenplay. Faxon directed the film, and despite Ferrell’s inability to put depth into his role, the rest of the film was terrific.

Overall: I was severely disappointed in the way Ferrell’s performance hurt this movie.

Get Hard

First Hit:  Funnier than expected and not a great film.

This somewhat topical film about Wall Street mismanagement of funds is only interesting because James (Will Ferrell) is a newly appointed partner in his fiance's felonious father's firm (say that 3 times fast). He is also unknowingly going to be the fall guy for the theft.

Looking at 20+ years in the penitentiary, he hires Darnell (Kevin Hart), an executive car wash owner, to teach him how to survive in prison. Although Darnell’s never been to prison, he makes James believe him because what James will pay him. To do this, Darnell turns James’ home into a prison with barbed wire, security gates and all sorts of spotlights.

The interaction between the fast-talking Darnell and the slow to get the picture James is, at times, very very good. At other times not quite as good. Yet; I’ll say that with Hart as a foil, Ferrell is better than usual.

Hart is a fast-talking creative genius. Watching him act you know he’s adding and deleting dialogue as required to make the scenes work. Ferrell is better with Hart as a foil instead of being the sole performer in a film. Craig T. Nelson as the felonious father-in-law is believable. Alison Brie as his fiancé Alissa is OK but her part felt forced. Jay Martel and Ian Roberts wrote a pretty good script in that it allowed for the actors to create characters. Etan Cohen did a good job of directing by letting the actors push their characters, although the first part of the film felt more constricted than the latter half.

Overall:  One of the better Will Ferrell films I’ve seen in a long time.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

First Hit:  You’ve read it from me before and again here – I’ve got to stop seeing stupid inane Will Ferrell films.

This film is not only inane; it is not funny except in very few places. What’s worse is that not one character is interesting, nor is any one believable with a partial exception of Christina Applegate (as Ron Burgundy’s wife Veronica).

The depth of this film is about as deep as tissue paper.

The premise is that Burgundy (Ferrell) is fired from his news job, kicks around with different stuff but gets a chance to become part of a 24 hours news network. To make his program popular he reports car chases and the like.

At the end of the film, he admits that what he was reporting wasn’t really news and the same statement bodes for this film – what he is doing here isn't a film – it is a mess.

Ferrell is Ferrell there is no acting just him acting stupidly. Applegate was the only person on the screen that was remotely believable. Steve Carell (as Brick Tamland) is one of Burgundy’s news team is occasionally funny (owner of the most laughs in this film) but I don’t understand why he would take a role like this. Paul Rudd (as Brian Fantana) as another one of Burgundy’s team, is wasted. David Koechner (as Champ Kind) as the last of Burgundy’s team is also a wasted role. Kristen Wiig in a small role as Tamland’s newly found girlfriend was OK and engaging. Will Ferrell and Adam McKay wrote this sophomoric script and McKay directed this mess, messily.

Overall:  I need to stay home and not see Ferrell films as they ARE a waste of my time.

The Campaign

First Hit:  It was very funny at times while at other times reflectively poignant of our political process.

Cam Brady (played by Will Ferrell) is a multi-elected congressman who does little in congress but loves being a member. He’s running unopposed until two wealthy businessmen Glenn and Wade Motch (played by John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd respectively) decide they want some influence in congress so that they can build a new factory in Brady's congressional district.

The kicker is that the workers will be imported from China at very low wages. It is what they call "insourcing". They select the younger odd-ball son of Raymond Huggins (played by Brian Cox) Marty (Zach Galifianakis) who they think they can easily manipulate.

Marty gives tours of his home town for a living but he’s always wanted to be seen as someone more than this, especially by his father. To assist Marty, Glenn and Wade hire a take no prisoners campaign manager Tim Wattley (played by Dylan McDermott). With Tim’s guidance, Marty becomes ruthless in his quest to win the election.

Cam is and becomes more of what most people don’t like about politicians, untruthful, unfaithful, scheming, and willing to do anything, including airing manipulative television commercials, to win. Marty is meeting him punch for punch, but learns the lesson sooner than Cam that he has to live with himself and in the final day of the campaign decides to promote telling the truth, the real truth.

The parallels to the real election process are astonishing and with our country in election mode, this film is timely. One very nice touch is having real and famous newsmen be part of the script. They are used to announce the latest news from the campaign.

Lastly, showing how both wives can and are affected by the power of publicity was very good.

Ferrell, although not my favorite actor, is pretty good in this role. Although too much Will Farrell and less of his character at times, he does carry this role, enough for the audience to see our election stupidity. Galifianakis is good but also stuck in a type casting of the same kind of person he’s played in other films. Fortunately it works here. Lithgow and Aykroyd are great as rich manipulators who point fingers at each other in front of a congressional hearing. McDermott was very amusing as the dark hired hand to make Marty a winner. Cox is great as Marty’s overly stuffed and arrogant father. Shawn Harwell and Chris Henchy must have had a lot of fun writing this script knowing this film would air during an election year. Jay Roach did a very good job of bringing poignant humor and truth by showing us the absurdity of our election process.

Overall:  This was an enjoyable film with some interesting likenesses to our current election.

Casa de mi Padre

First Hit:  This film was entertaining mostly because it was an obvious spoof with good acting.

Watching Will Ferrell (playing Armando) speak fluent Spanish and use his impish grin and questionable logic to tell this story was fun.

As you all note, I’m not a big Ferrell fan, but here he is good at keeping the film moving along. His character lives at home with his father Miguel Ernesto (played by Pedro Armendariz Jr.).

The juxtaposition between all the Mexican/Latin cast with the main character (Armando) being a Caucasian was hilarious. Armando’s brother, Raul (played by Diego Luna), comes home with his soon to be wife Sonia (played by Genesis Rodriguez) as a drug dealer who exclaims he really isn’t hurting anyone because it is the stupid Americans who require the drugs he sells.

There are moments where Raul mimics Pacino from Scarface which brought me to laughter.

The use of really bad animatronics was perfect.

The fake background scenes repeated over and over as they ride in the truck or the fake horse riding was perfect for this farce filled film.

Ferrell was good in this role and actually had me laughing multiple times. Efren Ramirez and Adrian Martinez as Esteban and Manuel respectively are perfect in their roles. Gael Garcia Bernal as “The Onza” held my attention whenever he was on the screen. Rodriguez was beautiful and engaging as Sonia the love interest. Andrew Steele wrote this funny script. Matt Piedmont directed this in mindful spoofy way.

Overall:  I was surprised that I liked what Will Ferrell did in this film and the tongue-in-cheek approach made it fun.