Escroc malgré lui

a film who reminds Frank Capra's films. the atmosphere, the lead character, the theme. sure, not at the same high and subtle level but more than a decent work. film about self redefinition, using in inspired manner the charm of Greg Kinnear, proposing nice characters and a seductive mixture of humor and drama, remembering that small things who defines every day life, being, in fact, a film about importance of community, it is a kind of soup for soul, without high ambitions but amusing and useful as lesson of life. preserving the mark of Christmas' spirit, the old formula of she and he who, after struggles, discover the real love, it could be the best option for a comfortable evening after a long work day.

Tom (Greg Kinnear) is a petty conman who poses as a burn victim (among other things) to elicit money from innocent bystanders. He has quite a reputation around town so law enforcement goes to some length to catch him in the act. Brought in front of a judge, she decrees that he will get a real job or end up in the pokey. So, a job it is for him. Tom has his eye on a pretty lady named Gloria, anyway, so it might help his image with her, too. Strings are pulled to get him into the postal service's dead letter office. Once there, surrounded by kind and interesting people, he begins to turn his life around. He even reads some of the letters addressed to God and performs random acts of kindness. What could be wrong with that? This movie leaves the viewer with feelings of great joy. Kinnear is a charmer, in every way, and with cast members such as Maria Pitillo, Tim Conway, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Hector Elizondo, he is in great company. The script has a buoyant message to give about helping others, only to receive kindness back in return. How nice the settings and costumes are, too. A love story develops quietly for any viewer who longs for comedies with romance. This film is recommended for individuals or families who need their faith restored in humanity, but who also enjoy laughter and nonsense along the way.

When letters written to God start getting results, and replies, people everywhere are amazed. The Post Office, however, is annoyed.

Siskel & Ebert gave the film two thumbs down upon its release. James Berardinelli gave the film one star and explained, "At least after seeing this movie, I understand where the title came from – starting about thirty minutes into this interminable, unfunny feature, I began looking at my watch every few minutes and thinking, 'Dear God, is this ever going to end?'" I have to agree, and maybe I'm being a little generous with my 5. This is probably closer to a 4, because it really isn't very funny, and as one person so aptly said, it "drowns in its own sentimentality". I suppose the bonus point will be for having David Hasselhoff and Elvira show up, even if only for a second. Tony Danza, as well. But if I ever see this movie again (I hope not), it will probably lose a star.

"Dear God" is so painstakingly boring, manipulative and predictable it's hard to watch despite some decent yet watered down performances by those onboard the project.

Greg Kinnear plays a young slacker who is innocently arrested and sentenced to finding a job--yes, finding a job--by the bad guy from "Total Recall," who doesn't look like he's having a very good time making this movie. Kinnear takes a job at a local post office and gets a spot in the Dead Letter Department, where all the letters to Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy, and God are sorted and thrown out.

But as Kinnear avoids his odd co-workers, he finds himself wanting to respond to the "Dear God" letters, hence the title of the film--big surprise--"Dear God."

Kinnear's character is extremely obnoxious and annoying. At times the filmmakers want us to feel sorry for the Innocent Young Man Going Through Turbulent Times, but then the character does things that are inexcusibly ignorant and unbiased. For example, take a scene where Kinnear is on trial. We're supposed to feel sorry for him. But the next moment he's up in the judge's face making wise cracks and disobeying all courtroom procedures. This is supposed to amuse the audience. Yeah, right.

The film's jokes are about as tired as every other average comedy out there. Too many scenes do not expand to their full potential, and instead we get scenes like the "Stand behind the yellow line" gag that not only goes on WAYYY too long, but has been done a million times before in a million different films.

The characters are not only weak, but one-dimensional and totally distant: We can't feel for any of them one way or another.

The characters' dialogue is about as stiff and stereotypical as it can get: You feel like the writers were trying to think of corny dialogue. And boy, if that's what they were looking for, they got it right.

"Dear God" had a good premise with promising potential, but due to a half-baked, sentimentally-controlling script, unlikable characters and an awful sense of humor, this film fails miserably at what it promises us.

1.5/5 stars -

John Ulmer

"Dear God" is a movie the whole family can enjoy. Despite a predictable plot and an ending anyone can spot a mile away, the overall ensemble acting and dialogue are surprisingly fresh and sometimes poignant. The conversion of Tom from a conniving con who thought of every angle to profit himself to a do-gooder is gradual and quite convincing, avoiding a common pitfall of many feel-good movies. Jaded cynics may sneer at the religious tone, but it is actually not about any religion but about the uplifting experience one can gain by helping each other.

The cast of Kinnear, Metcalf, Pitillo mixed with old pros like Conway, Elizondo and Browne really deliver. Conway is especially enjoyable, a scene stealer up to his old tricks, and Metcalf is deliriously wacky. A special mention goes to the director, Gary Marshall, using subtle yet funny touch to parody the American media and court system. Overall, this movie is very delightful for everyone who is not a total cynic. Rating: 8/10.