Spring Break
'My Best Friend's Girl' lacks continuous plot development
Funny man Dane Cook acts out jokes better than characters, leaving viewers wanting a more fluid story line.
By: Ben Johnson
Issue date: 9/26/08 Section: Features
Every "good guy" has wondered what it is about the "bad boy" image that women find appealing. The confident swagger of a rebel without venturing too far into the extremities of cruelty is a balancing act not for the faint of heart.
The movie's star, Tank (Dane Cook), is an emotional terrorist. Having mastered psychological manipulation, Tank is a mental mercenary who preys on the emotions of women in order to manipulate them. What is his game? Guys recently dumped by their girls pay Tank to take their ex-girlfriends on the worst date of their lives to show them how good they had it with their ex-boyfriends. It's a well-oiled machine that seems to have no drawbacks until Dustin (Jason Biggs), Tank's best friend and roommate, enlists his services. Unleashing his vicious gift upon Alexis (Kate Hudson), Tank finds himself falling in love with his best friend's girl.
Movies aimed at teenagers and young adults these days are a dime-a-dozen. They require next to no technical cinematic expertise, are populated with hyperbolic characters and appeal to younger audiences because they require no intelligence to enjoy. As such, casting Cook in this role seems logical. His unsophisticated comedy and almost absent acting ability is congruent with the genre. Biggs plays his usual role as a well-intentioned but awkward guy. Hudson's character is neither deep nor likeable, but in a film such as this, these qualities are not top priority. Alec Baldwin makes a brief appearance as Dane Cook's sleazy father in a role reminiscent of his "Mr. Armstrong" character in the infamous Saturday Night Live "Canteen Boy" sketch.
What attempts to set this film apart is an overemphasis on vulgarity. Tank's tactics in driving women away from him and back to their ex-boyfriends are nothing short of brutal. Unfortunately, this is the source of most of the film's humor. To its credit, the film is loaded with laughs, but only for audiences not put off by excessive crudeness. We are also meant to believe that deep inside, Tank is a caring guy who is putting on a front. While that may be true, the extremes to which he goes betray any possibility that he is indeed one of the "good guys."
In the end, "My Best Friend's Girl" is not much more than a guilty pleasure. The movie is mildly enjoyable. Director Howard Deutch apparently opted to let several of the actors, namely Cook, experiment with improvisational dialogue. Essentially, this boils down to a handful of moments Cook attempts to insert some of his signature stand-up into the film. These moments tend to interfere with what continuity the film had to offer. "My Best Friend's Girl" is certainly a comedy, but attempts to wrap up with a sentimentalized "chick flick" ending - something not at all consistent with the rest of the film. If a few laughs are all you're seeking then this movie will not disappoint. Anything beyond that may require something more intelligent.
The movie's star, Tank (Dane Cook), is an emotional terrorist. Having mastered psychological manipulation, Tank is a mental mercenary who preys on the emotions of women in order to manipulate them. What is his game? Guys recently dumped by their girls pay Tank to take their ex-girlfriends on the worst date of their lives to show them how good they had it with their ex-boyfriends. It's a well-oiled machine that seems to have no drawbacks until Dustin (Jason Biggs), Tank's best friend and roommate, enlists his services. Unleashing his vicious gift upon Alexis (Kate Hudson), Tank finds himself falling in love with his best friend's girl.
Movies aimed at teenagers and young adults these days are a dime-a-dozen. They require next to no technical cinematic expertise, are populated with hyperbolic characters and appeal to younger audiences because they require no intelligence to enjoy. As such, casting Cook in this role seems logical. His unsophisticated comedy and almost absent acting ability is congruent with the genre. Biggs plays his usual role as a well-intentioned but awkward guy. Hudson's character is neither deep nor likeable, but in a film such as this, these qualities are not top priority. Alec Baldwin makes a brief appearance as Dane Cook's sleazy father in a role reminiscent of his "Mr. Armstrong" character in the infamous Saturday Night Live "Canteen Boy" sketch.
What attempts to set this film apart is an overemphasis on vulgarity. Tank's tactics in driving women away from him and back to their ex-boyfriends are nothing short of brutal. Unfortunately, this is the source of most of the film's humor. To its credit, the film is loaded with laughs, but only for audiences not put off by excessive crudeness. We are also meant to believe that deep inside, Tank is a caring guy who is putting on a front. While that may be true, the extremes to which he goes betray any possibility that he is indeed one of the "good guys."
In the end, "My Best Friend's Girl" is not much more than a guilty pleasure. The movie is mildly enjoyable. Director Howard Deutch apparently opted to let several of the actors, namely Cook, experiment with improvisational dialogue. Essentially, this boils down to a handful of moments Cook attempts to insert some of his signature stand-up into the film. These moments tend to interfere with what continuity the film had to offer. "My Best Friend's Girl" is certainly a comedy, but attempts to wrap up with a sentimentalized "chick flick" ending - something not at all consistent with the rest of the film. If a few laughs are all you're seeking then this movie will not disappoint. Anything beyond that may require something more intelligent.
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