The Long Weekend Review by Clint Morris
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Here’s one for those in-store video
magazines that like to sell you a title based on it’s similarity
to another: You’ll love The Long Weekend… if you’re the type that would fancy seeing an inebriated grandmother leg-humped by an over-excited hyena.
Yep, we’re in classy country again – would make a great triple feature with Harold and Kumar go to White Castle and Waiting
–with something more reminiscent of a couple of B-actors’
audition tape for a new Farrelly brothers comedy, than a rousing
popcorn-munching cinemaplex offering. But besides the amusing irony of
seeing Chris Klein playing a struggling young actor who considers
himself ‘The Brad Pitt of Japan’, you’ll also get
some laughs here – but prepare yourself for a coaster-ride round
Smut Mountain - even if they are the ‘gee, I hope nobody saw me
laughing at that’ style laugh.
Struggling Advertising exec Ed Waxman (Brendan Fehr, best known for his role as Michael on TV’s Roswell)
is the dorkier of two brothers. Since he was old enough to stand-up,
he’s been videotaping everything he sees. Unfortunately, that
also included his girlfriend and another man, so the hobby soon loses
its appeal. On the same day that he catches his woman in the act,
he’s also forewarned that he’s about to lose his job, if he
can’t come up with the perfect campaign by the following Monday.
Convinced
that he’s simply got to go out there and get himself laid –
it is the answer to everything, after all, right? – the
terribly-shy and obviously-inexperienced young man teams with his
wildly oversexed brother, Cooper (Chris Klein, seemingly
channelling American Pie co-star Seann William Scott) to hit the town in search of tail.
There
isn’t much of a movie here – thus explaining the beating
the film will ultimately get from the critics - the script is
all-over-the-place and vacillating - evidenced in the fact that after
every gag, the filmmakers felt the need to intercut a grainy Funniest Home Video
style blooper (be it a monkey masturbating, a guy lighting his fart
only to catch on fire, a dog humping a horse, or a baby projectile
vomiting) - and the jokes borderline more on the ‘so offensive,
you can’t help but react’. But still, there are genuine
moments of amusement – albeit only a couple – and a couple
of young actors who are obviously trying their best to make something
of the wafer-thin material.
You might want top keep grandma away
from it – even an inebriated one – but anyone with a
penchant for a good fart/cum/pooh/sex/snot gag, might find it
sufficient viewing come video. Just drink first, not after…. and
heavily. 2.5 out of 5
The Long Weekend
Australian release: 16th March, 2006.
Cast: Chris Klein, Brendan Fehr, Cobie Smulders, Candra West, Nicole McKay
Director: Pat Holden
Website:
Click
here.
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