Waiting...

Having spent over 30 years running bars in several countries, I can say hand on heart that there is so much in this movie that is either spot on or even sometimes understated. It reminded me so so many different times and places. A big word of advice, being nasty to your waiter will get you more than you bargained for in many countries, not just the States. You have been warned.

When I first saw previews for this movie, I expected a soulless comedy about restaurant staff messing with customers. Although some people may feel that way even after seeing it, I was pleasantly surprised. From the introduction of 'the game' near the beginning of the movie, I knew this was going to be more interesting and even more disturbing than the previews.

Despite what appears to be rather thin characterization, 'Waiting' succeeds at being a good character-driven movie. I am not sure why this is. Perhaps what seem to be just childish antics add depth to the characters without us realizing it. Some people complain that 'the game' is a 10 second gag stretched out for the entire film, and on the surface, this is true. However, the game is really more of a mechanism for developing characters than anything on its own. The result is a set of very flawed, but surprisingly likable characters. Also, the ending, though a little abrupt, is entertaining largely because the movie does a good job of setting up the characters and situation.

This movie is not for everyone. If you do not like 'stupid' humor, then you will probably not be able to overlook that to enjoy the more subtle aspects. However, once you get past that, this movie is more than the sum of its parts.

This movie was everything I thought it would be and more. It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cringe. Most of all, it'll make you think twice about eating at another restaurant or even working at one. Each character is throughly enjoyable as is each interaction between them. It's extremely well-written and realistic. As a waitress, I found it completely therapeutic, because even though I'd never do anything to a customer's food, seeing someone else do it to someone who is deserving of it (even in a movie), is enough to make me feel better. Ryan Reynolds is hysterical in this movie, as is Dane Cook and Luis Guzman. There are so many one-liners that you'll hear for a long time, especially in the kitchen of any restaurant. It ends slightly abruptly and you find yourself wanting more...but I guess that means the writer has done something right. Go see it, and enjoy. Just remember never to break the cardinal rule: "Never, ever, f*ck with someone who handles your food."

This movie is a fun, comedic romp. It's has dick jokes, sexy Ryan Reynolds and teaches the lesson of respecting the people who serve you food. What else could you want?

First off just to clear this off: I work at an Applebees. I know that often times customers aren't any better than the dirt underneath your finger nails; so when I heard about this movie I was, in short, excited. Finally a movie that exposes the rotten customer, but after seeing it I felt empty. Half of this movie was one big long dick joke. I spent 96-ish minuets watching a movie that focused more on how guys flash each other when what I wanted to see was 96-ish minuets of real-to-life customer and server interaction. While yes, the customer interactions in here were very real, the truth is there wasn't enough. The acting was decent, but the loud screaming chick annoyed me to no end. The story danced around a decision. I snickered at a few parts but I never found myself laughing out loud. The sexual humor felt very American Pie-esquire in some cases when I was expecting more of an Office Space/Dilbert style. If you serve, cook, host, or bartend at a restaurant you'll find some of this movie to be funny, but not enough to save it's soul.