When it comes to comedy, Ryan Reynolds has terrific timing. National Lampoons' Van Wilder proved that he could handle the weight of a leading role, and made what could have been a laughably cliche idea into a hilarious performance. Since that time he's made a few other comedies (including Green Latern, which is funny for all the wrong reasons), and has also become a leading man in many romantic comedies. Before really breaking out into the mainstream, he was able to film Waiting, a film which doesn't focus on his character primarily, but allowed him to shine brighter than any of the other notable names in the film.
As I mentioned previous, I'm quite the Kevin Smith fan, and Smith's debut film Clerks, is often considered one of the best indie films of all time. Waiting plays like a future generation's homage to that film. The film follows the operation of a fictional food chain called Shennanigan's, which recalls both the well-known former restaurant chain that it satirizes, and the brilliant name used in Broken Lizard's Super Troopers. The restaurant is filled with quite the ensemble of eccentric characters, and allows each to share screentime pretty evenly.
 |
| The ensemble cast of Waiting |
The film stays tonally and thematically even with Clerks in that in mainly follows the two main characters through their various interactions with the people around them throughout the day. The dialogue is sharp, and while some jokes may play to the gross-out crowd, the setup and executions are well done, and the performances of the actors (especially Reynolds and co-star Justin Long) are near-perfect.
As always, feel free to use the following links to purchase your own copy on DVD or BluRay (although watch out for the rare "Nut Up or Shut Up" editions, as they get pretty pricey), or add the film to your Netflix list.
No comments:
Post a Comment