almalone

A weirdly inconsistent film, mixing hamfisted direction with an occasional obsessive attention to telling detail, seemingly shallow interactions with deeper thoughts, and Juliette Binoche's acting with Alexis Loret's acting. Loret can't act at all, even though he is pretty. This is not a great French film, but there's a lot to like about it nonetheless. Juliette Binoche is in fact that pretty, and she can act too. It has some (but not all) of the unforced naturalness that distinguishes French cinema. And it does not look upon its audience as a bunch of slack-jawed troglodytes, always a plus. Seven of ten, not the thing to convince someone to enjoy French cinema but pleasurable nonetheless.

As a document of an occasion, this film works well. As a comedy film, it leaves something to be desired. Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer are very funny, but D.L. Hughley and Bernie Mac are less so. Themes keep coming up again and again, which is to be expected, but specific topics recur too, which is inexcusable in a two-hour comedy film: white people die in groups, "Big Mama," the inadequacies of modern music. None of this humor is subtle, and it becomes monotonous in its brashness; the profanity eventually becomes grating; Bernie Mac saying "I will [expletive] your kid up" is funny the first eight times and much less so the next 60 times. Bernie Mac calling his sister's kid a "faggot" is similarly unamusing. Cedric and Steve Harvey are talented comedic performers, and these two in particular are always good for a buncha laughs per minute. But in some ways this film might be too much of a good thing, and sometimes it's way too much of a questionable thing indeed.

This is a completely amoral comedy, but for people (like myself) who enjoy this kind of thing, "Scary Movie" delivers. If you thought "There's Something About Mary" was sick, though, don't see this movie. "Scary Movie" shows more of the male anatomy than some of you might be eager to see, also. But there are some truly funny scenes. Shannon Elizabeth and Anna Faris are both excellent.