Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
I just met MiraJeff for the first time the other night at the LA screening of MONSTER HOUSE, and it turns out he’s just as cool in person as he’s been for the last few years while sending us reviews. I don’t envy him his task today, though. Ed Burns films invariably knock me out while also driving me bugfuck, and I’ve missed quite a few screenings of this one on purpose. Let’s see if MiraJeff thinks this one works...
Greetings AICN, MiraJeff here with a review of Ed Burns’ latest flick, The Groomsmen. Let’s jump right in, shall we? So I never “got” Ed Burns. I never saw what the big deal was. He did The Brothers McMullen and She’s The One and suddenly everyone’s kissing his ass. Women swooned, “Gee, what a sensitive good-looking guy,” and as a guy myself, I could understand how he filled a certain niche. You know what I’m talking about; the smooth-talking guy with a semi-original voice niche. And then the strangest thing happened; he got cast as Tom Hanks’ sidekick in Saving Private Ryan. And I don’t know how The Bearded One arrived at that decision but he did and like many others He’s made He was right to see something special in the guy. Now with regard to Burns’ acting, I’ve yet to see him bring the special. He hasn’t really had a role that has showcased what he can do, and although I liked him in Confidence, he’s hasn’t really been on my radar… until now. I’m pleased to announce that Burns’ return to the director’s chair is the special film we’ve been waiting for, mainly because it feels written from the heart.
In the film, Burns stars as Paulie, a Long Island writer engaged to marry his pregnant fiancée Sue (Brittany Murphy). Their wedding brings together all of Paulie’s friends, which isn’t hard considering most of them live on the same street. There’s married older brother Jimbo (Donal Logue), family man and bar owner Dez (Matthew Lillard), and Cousin Mike (Jay Mohr) who still lives with his father and is obsessed with his ex-girlfriend. The only out-of-towner is T.C. (John Leguizamo) who hasn’t been home since he stole Mike’s Tom Seaver rookie card eight years ago. And the reason why isn’t the only secret he has to share with everybody. The Groomsmen is first and foremost a movie about friendship so let’s talk about Paulie’s friends, because the reason the movie is so good is directly related to its inspired casting.
You might recognize Logue as Deacon Frost’s homeboy in Blade, or perhaps you’ve caught an episode of Grounded For Life, which never got the props it deserved. But the guy’s best work is his star-making turn in The Tao of Steve, which if you haven’t seen you must rent immediately. Here, Logue is kind of stuck playing the drunk and bitter older brother, but he keeps it real and gives Jimbo a certain pathos that really gets us on his side. His marriage is in trouble and he’s saturated with a general sadness. He has a great scene where his wife is begging him to play the song he wrote for her but he can’t because he claims not to remember it. But as soon as she’s gone, when he’s all by his lonesome, he plays guitar and sings it to himself. And it’s a silly, kind of stupid song, but it means so much to him and his voice is filled with such raw emotion that I got kind of choked up in the theater. I can’t say enough about this guy.
By now, we all know Leguizamo and it seems Toulouse-Lautrec has definitely grown up. He kicked some serious journalistic ass in last year’s Spanish gem Cronicas, and here he plays a conflicted character trying to make up for lost time. He has to explain his past actions and probably ends up regretting them once he realizes that his friends will always be there to support him. That’s what friends do. Guys crack a lot of jokes about each other but there’s always a mutual respect that exists, and this film captures that feeling to a tee.
It’s now time for my ode to Matthew Lillard. The guy takes more undeserved shit than any other actor in the business. What’s everyone’s problem with him? So what if he mugs for the camera? He’s an actor! From Serial Mom to Scream the guy’s been an institution of comic relief and if you try to tell me that he wasn’t great in the underappreciated SLC Punk! I would debunk and embarrass your entire argument. Granted, the guy makes some poor choices sometimes (Scooby Doo, Without A Paddle) but honestly, can you blame him? I mean, imagine Scooby Doo without Lillard’s bulls-eye take on Shaggy. I’d also like to mention one of my all-time favorite guilty pleasures, The Curve, which took the premise of Dead Man on Campus and actually made something watchable out of it.
Anyways, here, Lillard is right on the money. If you looked at the other four guys in this movie, Lillard would probably be the last guy most people would expect to play the family man but he’s perfect for the role. He’s the dad that every kid wishes he had and the guy most 20-something hope to grow up to be. He owns a bar, has a hot wife, two great kids, and he still finds the time to rock out with no shirt on. Sure his age is catching up with him but the guy still knows how to have fun. In any case, Lillard has certainly matured as an actor and that’s why he pulls off playing the anchor in this group of guys. He and his bar are the glue that holds them all together. He’s the one people come to for advice because from the outside, he looks like he’s got life figured out.
As for Jay Mohr, he just doesn’t get enough work these days, Pepsi commercials aside. I mean, as much as I love Jeremy Piven on Entourage, I’ve been re-watching Mohr’s brilliant but short-lived TV show Action! and Ari Gold is just a Jewish Peter Dragon with a gay assistant and without a penchant for prostitutes. There’s a reason Bob Sugar swindled all of Jerry Maguire’s clients, you know. It’s because Mohr is the ultimate cocky, self-assured, smug asshole. He makes you feel comfortable. Which is why it’s great to see him stretch a little bit and reach for the subtly dramatic. Cousin Mike may be the funniest character in the film but he’s also the one whose main problem I could best identify with. He’s a nice guy, a good guy, but he’s in the midst of a major depression because he’s hung up on his ex who doesn’t love him anymore. Now all he has are his friend, his father, and his successful landscaping business. He’s hungry for more. He wants to start a family, but not just any family. He wants to start the right family and that means getting his ex back in his life, which proves more difficult than we initially think it might. Either way, Mohr’s infantile machismo is the icing on the cake here and the revenge he gets on his ex’s brother is absolutely priceless.
And just to be fair to our female readership, in case you were wondering, yes Brittany Murphy gives the best performance of her career, which isn’t saying much but still. She impressed the pants off me.
But back to the mastermind of all this, Ed Burns. Again, he plays the straight man here and even though he might have the “lead,” his character is probably the least interesting, if only because his story arc is the most predictable. He’s good, he’s just not as great as everyone else. But in terms of the writing, his dialogue carries a masculine rhythm that I just can’t describe. It simply encapsulates what guy friends are all about. These characters are all at turning points in their lives. They all face some difficult decisions and have some tough choices to make. So as friends do, they help one another make them. The Groomsmen is a funny and moving look at the not-so-secret lives of men. It’s honest writing, and that’s the best anyone can ask for. It’s not a stupid macho guy comedy. It wears its heart on its sleeve and isn’t afraid to let a few man-tears flow. I laughed, I cried, and I sound like a horrible cliché, so I’m gonna wrap this up. If an intimate character piece about a bunch of guys at a crossroads in their lives is your cup of tea, do yourself a favor and see The Groomsmen. It’s like Diner with New Yawk accents.
That’ll do it for me, folks. I know I promised another Ed Burns review, but I didn’t get a chance to watch my Looking For Kitty screener over the holiday weekend, although I did bump into that film’s star, David Krumholtz, in the grocery store. He said “it’s a cool movie” so I’ll take his word for it and get back to you guys before its August release. I’ll be back soon with reviews of Monster House and Little Miss Sunshine. ‘Til then, this is MiraJeff signing off...
Wow. Sounds like this one hit you just right. Damn it, you’re going to make me check this out, aren’t you? Thanks for the review, MiraJeff, and we’ll talk to you soon.
"Moriarty" out.
