Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. Man, oh man... I just came in from this flick and I've got a headache. Don't worry, it's the good kind that you get from laughing so hard and so long during a comedy. David Wain's They Came Together is easily his best movie since Wet Hot American Summer.
His stuff always has an absurd sense of humor, but he went all out Zucker/Abrams on They Came Together. The basic structure is two couples out at dinner sharing stories of how they met. Bill Hader and The Office's Ellie Kemper finish telling their story just as the movie starts, turning it over to Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd. Their story, they say, is crazy and like some bad romantic comedy.
In any other kind of comedy this would be an eyeroller because you know they're going to then just tell that bad romantic comedy and this is the way they can admit it's standard fare, but still do it. Not here. No sir, no ma'am. This is a spoof movie, the likes of which we haven't seen done this well since The Naked Gun. What's weird is that it's like a modern take on a spoof movie... there's a few times the characters break the fourth wall, there some sight gags (for instance at one point Rudd says a snooty French waiter – are there any other kind of French waiters?- has a pole up his ass... and then we see he literally does have a pole up his ass, which knocks over glasses as the two are seated), it's completely self referential and there's even a music video interlude ala Naked Gun.
I guess I thought the days of the Airplane/Top Secret style spoof were gone for good. The Zuckers don't do it right, I like the early Scary Movies, but even then The Wayans' don't quite nail what I loved about those great spoof movies of the '70s and '80s. I thought it was a lost art, but Wain and his pack of amazingly talented comedic actors just proved me wrong tonight.
Paul Rudd is ridiculously charming (nothing new about that) and is perfectly suited to lead a feature-length pisstaking of the common rom-com. Poehler is as funny as she's ever been and really nails that “quirky and clumsy, but pretty romantic comedy girl” stereotype perfectly.
They're supported by some great talents, including Christopher Meloni, Melanie Lynskey, Ed Helms, Jason Mantzoukas (Rafi!), Michael Ian Black, Max Greenfield and a few other surprises I won't ruin for you (someone pretty awesome wields a sword during the climax of the film, but it's too good of a surprise to give away).
It's quite possible the movie goes too goofy for some audience members, but fuck 'em. If you don't like random humor you're missing a little piece of your soul. I'm sorry, it's just science. What'll for sure turn some nice clean religious type folks off is the insane vulgarity, but we're not worried about those people. I'd be willing to bet not many standup members of society are reading this site. We're all the sinners and fun people over here, so when I say this movie is vulgar and ridiculous that should be like ringing the dinner bell.
I want to show this movie to my little brother, to my Austin friends, to anybody who I think will laugh at inappropriate things... hell, I just want to watch it again right now, which will be difficult since Mr. Wain announced tonight that the release date is set for June 27th.
So, sorry to give you blue balls by telling you you won't get a chance to see this hilariously funny movie for another 5 months, but that's what the movie gods have decreed.
You'll just have to take my word on it for a while. They Came Together is the goods and I'd be willing to bet it'll be a massively quoted fan favorite in no time at all.
Well, those are my sleep-deprived words on the matter. They Came Together was my last film of Sundance 2014, but far from my last review. By my count I have 10 more reviews to finish and a good dozen plus interviews, including one with damn near everybody in They Came Together, which I have to conduct in the morning so I'm going to call it a night and get some sleep so I can be sharp when grilling these guys on how they're so goshdarned awesome all the time.
My Sundance coverage will continue into next week, so stay tuned!
-Eric Vespe
”Quint”
quint@aintitcool.com
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