MOVIE REVIEW: House guest from hell

By Dawn Ferguson

10 August 2006

Funny-man Owen Wilson’s latest is a disappointing flop

Everybody’s got that one friend. He’s always been the life of the party, that wacky guy everyone could always turn to for a laugh. Even though college was over years ago, he hasn’t changed a bit. But as his friends are all getting married and pursuing their careers, he just can’t seem to pull things together.

In You, Me and Dupree, Owen Wilson plays that guy, but with dismal results. The film was clearly churned out with little forethought, put together with the sole purpose of cashing in on Wilson’s goofy appeal and repeating the success achieved by last summer’s The Wedding Crashers. As one of the film’s promotional tags goes, “Last summer he crashed weddings. This summer, he’s crashing with the newlyweds.” Sadly, the writers lean too heavily on the persona of Wilson, without bothering to develop a decent narrative around him.

The film opens with the wedding of Carl (Matt Dillon) and Molly (Kate Hudson) in Hawaii. Their life together looks like it’s paved with happily-ever-after pixie dust; they have a new house, she’s a happy elementary school teacher with the body of a pole dancer and her real-estate-mogul-father Mr Thompson (Michael Douglas) promotes Carl and gives him giant land-development projects.

But then, someone comes along to rock their love-filled boat. Dupree loses his job and apartment and moves into Carl and Molly’s to sleep buck naked on their couch for a while. Carl, not wanting to leave his Best Man out in the cold, promises Molly that “it’s only going to be for a couple of days – a week at the most.” Sounds like a formula for comedic genius? Maybe so, but that’s not how things play out in this train wreck.

Sure, the filmmakers try hard to get the audience to laugh. Dupree interrupts Carl and Molly having sex in order to defecate in their bathroom. Molly catches Dupree masturbating to Carl’s secret stash of porn. Dupree invites dominatrix strippers to the house during an impromptu boy’s night. The list goes on but the laughs never seem to materialize.

Woman may find this film a bit insulting. Are all married women really like this? Do they give their husbands curfews and make them throw away their porn collections – Asian porn, in Carl’s case? Maybe so. Maybe that’s about the only realistic aspect of this film.

Hudson’s normal goofy charm is nearly nonexistent in You, Me and Dupree. She is relegated to the role of nagging wife, saying things like “My grandmother’s silver cheese platter – and you used it to serve nachos!”

As for Wilson, it’s not that it’s hard to believe he’s the kind of guy that would sleep on your couch for weeks and make you insane by upgrading your cable package and burning down your living room during a romantic encounter with a kinky librarian. The problem is, it’s a tired tale that will leave most viewers bored, and a few mildly amused. Wedding Crashers it ain’t.

The chemistry between Hudson and Dillon is painfully non-existent. The cheesy lines that come out of their mouths will make even the most romantic saps cringe in disbelief. But, men will enjoy the gratuitous shots of Kate Hudson’s body.

When you leave the cinema, you’re going to be wishing you could have those 108 minutes of your life back. Everything about this film is unlikely and strained.

One minute Dupree’s an insensitive fool lousing up job interviews, the next he’s cooking elaborate dinners and crying at Audrey Hepburn films. He becomes the couple’s savior, helping them to recognize the strength of their love and teaching Carl that he has to stand up to his overbearing father-in-law who wants him to get a vasectomy.

What’s truly unfortunate is that you know directors Anthony and Joe Russo are capable of brilliant comedy. After all, they’re the directors of the tremendously hilarious series Arrested Development. But for some perplexing reason, little of that offbeat wit is to be found here.

It’s downright puzzling. The film brings together an impressive cast and crew but gives everyone horribly bad material to work with. Only the most devoted fans of Owen Wilson will enjoy this film. There are holes everywhere, including a prolonged build-up to see the face of a mystery woman that never materializes, almost as though the scene was mistakenly dropped to the cutting room floor.

To top off a predictable, joyless film, what better than a predictable joyless, ending – complete with a heart-wrenching Coldplay song blaring over the action. “I will try, to fix you,” wails Chris Martin as the sickly sweet scene unfolds. Unfortunately, though, nothing can fix this disappointing mess.

You, Me and Dupree

• Owen Wilson, Matt Dillon, Kate Hudson, Michael Douglas

• Directed by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

• Opens today everywhere

Thai Day