Sunday, June 21, 2009

Movie review – “The Hangover” (2009) ****

Fresh and funny comedy which I don’t mind admitting gave me writers envy. The plot is solid and simple – surely someone has thought of this before – combining elements of Todd Phillips two previous big hits: 30-something guys acting badly (Old School) going on a Road Trip. The cast are excellent across the board, and the humour is consistently inventive and funny. The ace in the pack is the guy with the beard – it’s always good to have a crazy character because you can push them in unexpected directions (eg 30 Rock).

My only gripe is at times the film feels as though it needs a more emotive subplot, to cover the episodic nature of the adventures. Some potential ones are set up – Bradley Cooper’s home life, the Heather Graham marriage – but not really followed through. Were they cut out? Also the Asian villain does come a bit close to racist caricature. But the best comedy I’ve seen in a while.

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