Hall Pass

Review by Sean Lynch

What if you could take off a week from your relationship - no strings attatched (which seems to be the phrase of the year)? Well that's the carrot being dangled in front of men everywhere with Hall Pass - but is it enough to pull the Farrelly Brothers out of their comedic rut?

Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) are best friends who have a lot in common, including the fact that they have each been married for many years. You know the drill : Whipped and Ball-less... but refusing to admit it to themselves.

However, when the two men begin to show signs of restlessness at home (aka, being caught talking dirty about friends wives), their own wives (The Office's Jenna Fischer and Married With Children's Christina Applegate) take a bold approach to revitalising their individual marriages.

The plan : Granting them a "Hall Pass", one week of freedom to do whatever they want… no questions asked.

At first, it sounds like a dream come true for Rick and Fred. But it isn't long before they discover that their expectations of the single life - and themselves - are completely, and hilariously, out of sync with reality.

The biggest problem with Hall Pass isn't it's lack of laughs or mixed messages about commitment - it's that the film only really makes sense to those of us who have been in long term, loving relationships.

Let's face it - you can have the best relationship in the world - but, eventually, boredom kicks in.

Hall Pass captures this feeling perfectly - for both sides of the argument (the husband and the wives) - however, for the young singles (the core audience for any Farrelly Brothers film) or the perpetually unhinged... Hall Pass lacks a certain punch. It just doesn't speak to them in any way, shape or form.

Target audience aside - Hall Pass is easily the Farrelly's most likeable and relatable flick in a long time.

Obvious comparisons will be made to recent "Bromance Comedies" (after all, it does sometimes play like a sequel to The Hangover set 20 years after the events of the original), but that still doesn't take anything away from some excellent comedy casting and some even better onscreen chemistry between all involved.

Owen Wilson is perfectly solid as always, SNL's Jason Sudeikis moves into the world of cinema with ease - however, the big drawcard here is Stephen Merchant. For years, the gangly other-half of The Office team has lived in the shadow of Ricky Gervais - but here he shines. He is an untouched talent that deserves more screen time than he's recieved and Hall Pass is worth seeing just for him.

Best seen if you're stuck in a long term relationship - but surprisingly, despite the subject matter - a pretty impressive date movie.

3.75 out of 5

Hall Pass
Australian release: 3rd March, 2011
Official Site: Hall Pass
Cast: Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer, Richard Jenkins, Christina Applegate, Alexandra Daddario
Director: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly