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| Envy
Directed By: Barry
Levinson Plot
Summary - Review 1 - Review
2 - CURRENT REVIEWS
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| Ben Stiller and Jack Black star as Tim and Nick, best friends, neighbors and co-workers, whose equal footing is suddenly tripped up when one of Nick's harebrained get-rich-quick schemes actually succeeds: Vapoorizer, a spray that literally makes dog poop, or any other kind for that matter, evaporate into thin air -- to where exactly is anyone's guess. Tim, who had scoffed at Nick's idea and passed on an opportunity to get in on the deal, can only watch as Nick's fortune -- and Tim's own envy -- grow to equally outrageous proportions. When the flames of jealousy are fanned by an oddball drifter (Walken) who imposes himself into the situation, Tim's life careens wildly out of control ... taking Nick's with it [TRAILER] Most films live or die by their characters, and this is never truer than in comedies. Recalling my favorite comedic experiences, it is not the stories I remember, but rather memorable characters and hilarious performances. True, the story is what brings characters into their humorous situations, but it is their actions and reactions within these scenarios that makes for truly impressive comedy. Anyone who disagrees with this thesis should make a point of seeing “Envy,” an early contender for one of the worst films of the year. As it spirals out of control, “Envy” starts to break apart at the seems, and one cannot help but feel that an overdone story is tearing the chemistry and energy out of the actor’s capable hands. Considering the hands we’re talking about, this is no minor insult. “Envy” features the consistent Ben Stiller as Tim Dingman, a very practical, nose-to-the-grindstone worker bee who avoids risk and uncertainty in favor of the predictable and the norm. The hilarious Jack Black is Nick Vanderpark, the great friend but polar opposite of Tim, who one day invents a spray that makes dog poop disappear. He calls it “Va-POO-rize,” and makes millions overnight as eager dog owners rush to rid themselves of their fecal chore. However, regardless of how you might envision this “comedy” playing itself out, you’ll be disappointed. Director Barry Levinson (“Analyze That”) and first-time writer Steve Adams have crafted a story that takes the most difficult and absurd route imaginable. Nick becomes rich while remaining friends with Tim, but Tim is sickened by the wealth he sees everyday across the street. One night, while drunk, Tim accidentally shoots one of Nick’s arrows into his prized horse and then must incorporate the help of a drunkard to first bury and then transport the horse’s corpse away from the scene of the crime. Nick then makes Tim part of his poo empire, and Tim is blackmailed by the drunkard who threatens to tell Nick about the murdered horse if Tim does not make him a partner in the business. It is as densely packed a farce as I have ever seen, and “Envy” is a case study of a comedy so diluted by contrived plot and melodrama that it does not have time to ever be funny. The characters are always running this way and that at such dizzying speed (notice Levinson’s frequent use of fast-motion) that they never have time to become endearing or make the essential connection with the audience that I mentioned in the first paragraph above. Making matters worse is the unmitigated shallowness of every character involved. Tim’s wife desperately wants money and an extravagant lifestyle, and Nick relishes in his mansion, horse ranch, shooting range, batting cage, indoor bowling alley and sports car. We never see the humanity beneath the surface, but only the insatiable greed and lust for the almighty dollar. Watch closely as Tim’s wife literally clings to his leg in one scene, begging him not to do anything that will jeopardize their bank account or lifestyle. It’s not that rich, needy or desperate people can’t be funny. It’s more that unbelievable and, even worse, unlikable characters such as these don’t entice us to care and let go. Without this empathy, there is really nothing left. The bits go nowhere, the story floats away into incoherence and the cast’s desperate performances become increasingly bizarre and distasteful with each valiant attempt to milk a few laughs out of the drudgery. Woody Allen has always made funny movies with minimal camera tricks, low-key performances and brilliant dialogue. His humor exists solely in the words, interactions and chemistry. To watch the team of Stiller and Black run around like morons with so little to really say or do is to become immediately aware of this boundary between the comedy that arrives in energetic waves and the comedy that lands with a deadening thud.  Check out Reviews, Commentary, and More at Zertinet.com |
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