Worth: $13.50
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Charlie Day, Ken Jeong, Ray Liotta, Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, Adrien Brody, Kate Beckinsale, Steve Coulter, Edie Falco
Intro:
... a funny and sweet film.
Best known for his role as Charlie in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Charlie Day props himself in front and behind the camera in his directorial debut, Fool’s Paradise. You may already be aware of the scathing reviews the film has received back in the US where, as often is the case when these things gain traction, people have almost fallen into a competition about who can put the boot in the hardest. With such a dog pile, you’d forgiven for going in with trepidation of what lies ahead. And yet, there’s really no need, because Fool’s Paradise turns out to be a funny and sweet film.
Day plays a mute drifter who is residing in a mental health clinic. Diagnosed as being utterly subservient with the mindset of a ‘five-year-old, or a Labrador’, the drifter is kicked out when it becomes apparent that he has no way of paying for his care. Roaming the streets of LA, he’s quickly picked up by Ray Liotta as a brash unnamed producer, who wants to use him as a body double for Sir Tom Bingsley (Day again), a man-child of a method actor who refuses to leave his trailer. Given the new moniker Latte Pronto, the drifter turns out to be utterly terrible at just being present in a scene – he can’t stop staring at the camera, for example – and yet, Hollywood quickly becomes enamoured with his unconventional ‘acting’ style.
From here, Fool’s Paradise follows Pronto as his star burns ever brighter with each new day, much to his bemusement. While there are deep shades of Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin in Day’s portrayal of Pronto, the difference between them and him is their engagement with their surroundings. Utterly befuddled by everything that’s going on around him, Pronto is also completely passive to it all; making him an empty vessel for others to fill with their own insecurities about their lives. For alcoholic actor Chad Luxt (Adrien Brody), he’s a confidant to share his wild history with. To the lonely Christiana Dior (Kate Beckinsale), he’s a chance at a committed relationship. Finally, for the energy drink guzzling Lenny (Ken Jeong), he’s a way to be more than a publicist living on his arse bones.
Sure, if Day set out for Fool’s Paradise to be a biting satire of Hollywood, then its target of talentless white men who can only ever fail upwards will be too broad for everyone’s tastes. And yes, if you’re used to Day’s high pitched, scratchy screaming that has made him a presence in Horrible Bosses, The Lego Movie, and Fist Fight, then it can be discombobulating not hearing him rave and rant when he’s being attacked by an overzealous director (Jason Sudeikis) and SFX technician (Jason Bateman). However, Fool’s Paradise highlights Day’s commitment to physical comedy, particularly during a house party scene that brings up memories of Peter Sellers in The Party, but you know, without all the problematic brownface. Then there’s Jeong, whose performance as the overlooked Lenny is reminiscent of an overcaffeinated Jack Lemmon in Glengarry Glen Ross. He is just so desperate to get Pronto to the big time that he will literally fight tooth and nail to get there.
By no means the catastrophic event that its reputation would lead you to believe, Fool’s Paradise is charming enough to to plant a big, fat smile on your face without much effort.
