If you were to ask several people their favorite comedy of the year so far, the most popular answer very well may be Bridesmaids. They’re not wrong to think this, but my personal favorite so far is Cedar Rapids; the Ed Helms vehicle which snuck into theaters earlier this year to positive reviews but not a whole lot of fanfare. It tells the dirty yet surprisingly winning story of a small-town insurance agent who is sent to the (relative) urban metropolis of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for a conference. His objective: to stay focused and win his agency the coveted Two Diamonds Award. Yet Helms’ character has lived a relatively naïve and sheltered existence, and this trip will expose him to a whole new world he’s never experienced before.
I do not mean to call Cedar Rapids revelatory, but it’s one of the more engaging triumph-of-the-little-guy stories I’ve seen in quite some time. It’s essentially about an overgrown child being thrust into the dirty, dirty life of adulthood, and Helms is the perfect guy to depict this transition. I’m not entirely sure Helms will be the stereotypical Hollywood leading man anytime soon, but I’d love to see him (ahem) helm smaller movies like this for years to come. The future of his career should consist of more than a handful of Hangover movies.
There are two larger releases this week, and both are frequently entertaining thrillers that can’t quite stick the landing. On the slightly more positive side, there is Unknown, which capitalizes on Liam Neeson’s newfound success as an action star. For a while, it’s a terrific thrill ride. Only the ending—which piles silliness on top of silliness—truly detracts from its cheap pleasures. The ending of the Matt Damon thriller The Adjustment Bureau is equally weak, but even more unforgivable. The premise—a group of fedora-wearing men control the fate of the entire world—is intriguing. The way it’s handled ends up being far too shallow. There are endless ideas that could have been explored here, but the ultimate resolution is the dumbest approach you could possibly think of. It only makes the rest of the film look worse than it really was.
But, most importantly, this week marks the release of Big Time Rush: Season One, Volume Two. What is Big Time Rush? Glad you asked:
Have a good week, readers. Just know I’ll be thinking about you. Worldwide.
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