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Written by Carla Meyer, McClatchy-Tribune
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Wednesday, 09 May 2007 |
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THE EX
2 stars
Cast: Zach Braff, Amanda Peet, Jason Bateman, Charles Grodin, Fred Armisen, Amy Poehler, Amy Adams, Mia Farrow and Lucian Maisel
Director: Jesse Peretz
Writers: David Guion and Michael Handelman
Distributor: MGM
Running time: 93 minutes
Rated PG-13 (sexual content, language, violence and a drug reference)
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"The Ex," a would-be daring and outrageous comedy, turns out to be only semi-daring and somewhat outrageous. But it is buoyed by a standout cast fully committed to the halfhearted material.
Directed by music-video veteran Jesse Peretz and written by David Guion and Michael Handelman, "The Ex" offers a standard story of a nice guy (Zach Braff) being sabotaged at work by a conniving superior (Jason Bateman). That the superior once hooked up with the nice guy's wife (Amanda Peet) is almost a given in such comedies.
The twist is that the rival, Chip, uses a wheelchair. Braff's character, Tom, discovers this under rather awkward circumstances during a business meeting.
Smart and charming, Chip is a complex figure and a daunting foil, especially as played by the divine Bateman. Smug even when portraying good guys, Bateman plays Chip with a straight face brightened by the glimmer of a twinkle.
Though he's wary of Chip, Tom wants to make the best of things. A new dad who just got fired from his job as a chef, Tom has left New York City for the stability of the Ohio ad agency where his father-in-law works. The father-in-law is played by Charles Grodin, perfectly cast as a hangdog guy in the twilight of his career. His wife is played by Mia Farrow, perfectly cast as a woman married a long time to a hangdog guy in the twilight of his career.
As Tom, Braff mixes the boyish quality of his "Scrubs" character, J.D., with a darker comic vibe. Tom is a decent fellow who sometimes chafes at the pressures of adult life, and Braff imparts all those qualities as Tom struggles to keep it together while Chip tries to undercut him.
Chip is the star of the agency, where the dress code appears to be business-hemp and the decor vintage 1999 dot-com. In this determinedly casual setting, even Chip's menace is casual. He doesn't raise his voice, and when Tom screws up, he takes the blame, as Tom's superior. Or at least that's the face he presents to others.
He might have been nice to the new guy if Tom were not married to Sofia, with whom Chip used to cheer on their high school spirit squad. A scene reuniting the former classmates offers a hilarious moment of physical comedy.
Peretz alternates scenes at the office with others of lawyer-turned-homemaker Sofia spending days with her infant son. Like most characters played by the likable Peet, Sofia meets the world with a direct gaze and a slightly amused air. Bored out of her mind, Sofia befriends a neighbor kid played by wonderfully oddball young actor Lucian Maisel.
Maisel does a bit, and it's the funniest of the bits that sometimes replace actual scenes in "The Ex." Others involve Romany Malco ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin"), Fred Armisen ("Saturday Night Live") and Amy Adams ("Junebug"). These moments don't necessarily fit the rest of the film, but the actors are a joy to watch.
More disconcerting is the movie's treatment of its lead characters. The filmmakers hedge their bets in their handling of the Chip character. This is not to say that they suddenly show sensitivity or good taste. What they show is caution - the enemy of truly scandalous or subversive humor.
This caution extends to the characters of Tom and Sofia. Though Tom behaves like a complete maniac in his bid to expose Chip's true colors, Sofia quickly forgives him. This heretofore savvy woman suddenly turns dodo.
These shifts are meant to ease the way for a sweet ending. But few filmmakers can successfully mix true outrageousness and warmheartedness. Or rather, two filmmakers: the Farrelly brothers, whose talent shines brighter when others try and fail to do what they do. | Only registered users can write comments.
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