Hall Pass

Reviewing a comedy is simply a matter of reporting whether I laughed or not. With Hall Pass, I laughed out loud quite a few times, and smiled during a lot of scenes where I wasn't laughing. It doesn't always work, but the jokes that do work hit so hard they're worth the wait. This is a movie that's not only a lot of fun, but maybe a little bit smarter than you might be expecting walking in.

Now, I don't want to give the impression that this is a profound or even a wise film. It's often not afraid to resort to shock value for it's laughs. This should come as no surprise when you consider it's co-written and directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly, the guys best known for pushing the envelope in comedies like There's Something About Mary. But then, some of their more recent films like Shallow Hal or Fever Pitch have been more gentle, romantic affairs. Hall Pass is a combination of both of their styles. It's often crude and sometimes gross (though never outright offensive, and always funny), but there's a heart behind it all. We like the characters, and there's a nice message concerning relationship insight. You get the feeling that the filmmakers are performing a difficult tightrope act between heartfelt sentiment, and juvenile humor concerning bodily fluids, frontal nudity, and pot brownies. The Farrellys show their skill by pulling this tricky combination off in the first place.

The plot centers on two married couples - Rick (Owen Wilson) and Maggie (Jenna Fischer), and their close friends Fred (Jason Sudeikis) and Grace (Christina Applegate). Both couples have been together for years, and have settled into a comfortable rut of children, chaperoning playdates and birthday parties, and family get-togethers. Not surprisingly, the routine has taken its toll. Maggie pretends to be asleep when Rick wants sex. And Rick and Fred have made no effort to hide their wandering eyes, especially with Rick fantasizing about his kids' 20-year-old babysitter (Alexandra Daddario), as well as the sexy young Australian woman who works at the coffee shop (Nicky Whelan). A friend of Maggie and Grace (Joy Behar) thinks she has the answer - give the men a "hall pass", which will give them a week of freedom away from marriage to follow their desires, and ultimately show them that they're happy where they currently are.

The women are naturally skeptical, but it makes sense the more Behar's character describes it. It's common nature for men to desire what they can't have. Left to their own devices for one week, the guys will see the reality of the situation, instead of the fantasy. After an embarrassing incident at a friend's house, Maggie, and eventually Grace, decide to give Rick and Fred a week off of marriage to do whatever they want, while the wives go off on a getaway of their own. The humor comes from the fact that Rick and Fred have been out of the dating game so long, they don't remember what to do when they have all this freedom before them. They gather their guy friends, and expect a week of wild partying and sex, only to make their first stop to pick up women the local Applebee's restaurant. ("Maybe we should try Olive Garden", one suggests, when the idea turns out to be a bust.) As for the wives, they get a bit of fun of their own when they catch the eyes of some men while on their vacation.

What surprised me about Hall Pass is how sweet it ultimately is underneath the jokes about sex and the over the top scatological humor. There's genuine emotion with some of the characters, especially with Wilson's portrayal of Rick, who learns during the week just how good he actually has it with his family. Through it all, Hall Pass is ultimately a love story, and one that might inspire conversation amongst couples when it is over. I think that's what surprised me about the film. The commercials play up the more raunchier aspects of the comedy, and while it certainly has that in spades, it's not where the film's mind truly is. Actually, it's the smaller and more down to earth jokes that got the bigger laughs from me, rather than the over the top ones dealing with things like (literal) explosive feces. I'd go into more detail, but it's probably best that I don't.

I think what sets Hall Pass apart from some inferior sex comedies is that there's actually something behind it all. There's a message, and something that people can take home with them. Yes, they'll laugh while watching it, but they'll also think back on certain moments when it's over. That's rare enough from a movie, but especially rare with the genre the Farrelly Brothers are working in here. I also enjoyed the casting. Wilson, Sudekis, Fischer, and Applegate are all given enough time to create sympathetic characters, and make their performances a little more relatable than you would expect walking in. There's also a great third act cameo for dramatic character actor, Richard Jenkins, to show off some rare comic talent. Jenkins has long been an actor who could brighten up any film (he was one of the few things that worked for me in last year's Eat, Pray, Love), and it's no different here.

So yeah, I laughed while watching Hall Pass. But it's also well-acted, and a little more honest than you might expect. Is it a great movie? Far from it. But it is the first comedy of 2011 to generally make me laugh out loud, and that's reason enough to recommend it. One final note - Don't leave when the end credits start.

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