I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
Kevin James and Adam Sandler in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
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Friday, 21, Sep 2007 12:27
Universal Pictures, directed by Dennis Dugan, starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Jessica Biel, out in cinemas Sept 21st, 115mins.
In a nutshell
I now pronounce you a very bad film indeed.
What's it all about
Blocked from receiving his state pension, newly-widowed firefighter Chuck finds out that he and his children can in fact get his benefits if he has a new life partner.
Best friend Chuck reluctantly agrees to play part of his domestic partner, despite being an infamous womaniser and the pair even go as far as getting hitched at Niagara Falls. Cue a succession of awkward moments and bad jokes between the two characters and their macho colleagues in the New York fire service, with the charade going into overdrive once a state investigator begins to doubt their claims of true love.
To make matters worse, Larry soon falls for their sexy lawyer Alex, having to find a balance between his true self and his ever-more farcical relationship with Chuck.
Predictably, along the way the pair realise that gay men are nice guys too, homophobia is bad - though despite posing as a newlyweds the pair never kiss, presumably because that would be a bit gay - and even the most bigoted of firemen finds redemption.
Who's in it?
Adam Sandler plays Larry, a thoroughly unlovable ladies man who manages to get away with his bad behaviour simply by being a fireman. Kevin James plays Chuck, a decent enough salt-of-the-earth type and the pair do make an effective comic duo. However, it is Steve Buscehmi's fraud investigator who stands out the most, while Jessica Biel earns her money by standing around looking lovely.
Probably more interesting is the fact that Alexander Payne, the man behind recent classics such as Sideways and Election, contributed to the script, though to what degree and whether he is proud of the fact is debatable.
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
About as likely as the film being taken up as a recruitment film for the New York Fire Department - not very.
What the others say
"Trades in pathetic stereotypes throughout" - the Guardian
"If there were a Straight Lack-of-Pride Parade, "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry" could be the grand marshal. The movie isn't insulting to homosexuals but to comedy" - New York Times
"Awesome" - Zoo Magazine
So is it any good?
In a word, no. In two words, it's awful.
Recently, many films have bucked the trend of not actually being as bad as they originally may sound - stoned loser has a baby with glamorous career woman or giant robots use Earth as a battle ground - but this film is every bit as bad as you initially fear it will be.
The only redeeming feature is that maybe in a few years, students will be able to devise a decent drinking game whereby a shot is drunk every time a gay cliché is rolled out: homosexual men being good at interior decorating, check; butch men worrying about sharing showers and then somebody actually dropping the soap, double check and so on and so forth.
Probably the only amusing thing is that those people who have not got up and left even half way through - probably those viewers London determined to get their money's worth - are told that the film is dedicated to the firefighters of New York City, the very people it has just spend the last hour and a half lampooning as homophobic Neanderthals.
Of course, Dan Aykroyd as the pretend-couple's boss shines out, though he must have been wondering what he deserved to be doing working alongside Sandler and Biel.
Given that no subject is 'taboo' these days, there is certainly room for a comedy about gay men in the macho world of firefighting - but this is nowhere near it.
2/10
David Hewitt