Cedar Rapids (2011)
Strong sexual references, drug use and coarse language
| Director: | Miguel Arteta |
| Actors: | Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, Sigourney Weaver, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Alia Shawkat |
Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) was the guy people always thought would go places but then he just . . . didn't. He's been living in über-sleepy Brown Valley, Wisconsin his whole life, still "pre-engaged" to his 7th grade teacher Millie Vanderhei (Sigourney Weaver), while selling insurance to protect other people's dreams. But now, Tim's stalled life is about to get a kick-start because, for the first time in his 34 years, he's headed to a "major" metropolis -- Cedar Rapids, Iowa -- where he must try to save his company at a do-or-die insurance convention that, for him, will be entirely unconventional.
| Status: | QuickPick |
|---|---|
| Run time: | 111mins |
| Origin: | UNITED STATES |
| Aspect Ratio: | 16:9 |
Big city life
by Simon Miraudo, 17/01/2012 9:33:00 AM
Although not quite as raunchy as The Hangover (or The Hangover Part 2, same diff) it's interesting to note the similarities between that blockbuster franchise and the little seen indie Cedar Rapids (deemed 'little seen' and 'indie' enough to play at the Sydney Film Festival earlier in the year). Both feature drug and alcohol-infused holidays abroad, both star Ed Helms as a hapless, seemingly straitlaced everyman, and in both he winds up romancing a prostitute. He certainly has a type. While it's clear new Office manager Helms isn't ready to test audiences by playing against convention just yet, he proves he doesn't need the Wolfpack by his side to carry a film. Well, maybe not that Wolfpack. As Wisconsin insurance salesman Tim Lippe - heading to the 'big city' of Cedar Rapids for an indus...
Although not quite as raunchy as The Hangover (or The Hangover Part 2, same diff) it's interesting to note the similarities between that blockbuster franchise and the little seen indie Cedar Rapids (deemed 'little seen' and 'indie' enough to play at the Sydney Film Festival earlier in the year). Both feature drug and alcohol-infused holidays abroad, both star Ed Helms as a hapless, seemingly straitlaced everyman, and in both he winds up romancing a prostitute. He certainly has a type.
While it's clear new Office manager Helms isn't ready to test audiences by playing against convention just yet, he proves he doesn't need the Wolfpack by his side to carry a film. Well, maybe not that Wolfpack. As Wisconsin insurance salesman Tim Lippe - heading to the 'big city' of Cedar Rapids for an industry retreat - he meets a bunch of miscreants that are far more pleasant company than Phil and Alan (notably, they're not terrible human beings). He parties with the riotous Dean Ziegler (John C. Reilly, wonderfully loose), buttoned-down but kindly Ronald Wilkes (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) and the sassy Joan Ostrowski-Fox (Anne Heche). Though he's never before left his hometown - where he's having an affair with his former high school teacher (Sigourney Weaver) - Lippe embraces the fast-paced world of Cedar Rapids and packs a lifetime of innocent (and not-so-innocent) troublemaking into a single weekend.
The cast is inherently likable, and the comedy is pleasantly sweet-natured (even if crack pipes, c-bombs and references to The Wire abound). What director Miguel Arteta's latest suffers from is the narrative thrust to keep one interested once the first 45 minutes flit by (and it's certainly lacking the visual panache of his Youth in Revolt, which tied a series of vignettes into a nice ambling comedy). The character of Lippe, created by writer Phil Johnston, only gets us so far. Still, I'd rather revisit this foursome in a sequel sooner than see The Hangover 3 (even if I was one of the few critics to give Part 2 a passing grade).
3.5/5
Read More
If you like this, try these:
Member Reviews (5)
5 Member
Reviews
Johnson
says
Not hugely funny, but quite likeable. Feels like a small indie movie that doesn't really have a point...
Guru Greg
says
A very capable movie, not brilliant, but quite watchable. I loved Ed Helms in the Hangover, the first one, not the turkey second one. Not laugh out loud, but, quite a few guffaws and chuckles. Worth a try.
niamhk
says
I rented this cos I love Ed Helms - all I can say about it is it's fine, it held my attention, had a couple of laughs but not enough considering what a good cast they had.
Maxine
says
This is a totally lame DVD. Don't bother.
Larry
says
I had heard favourable comments about this Comedy being better than the average American Comedy, but they were wrong! This Comedy is just OK, nothing special!