Charlie Wessler (Dennis Quaid) is an out of work movie writer / producer who wants to get back in the business, and makes his attempt by presenting his “pitch” to film studio “big shot” Griffin Schraeder (Greg Kinnear). The Pitch, which serves as a segment on it’s own, is a movie made up out of a number of smaller segments, or short films, if you will. Shortly after we are lead into the second segment, it’s obvious that they become more crude, crazy and inappropriate as the film goes on. From a man with a scrotum growing out of his neck, to a woman who wants her boyfriend to poop on her and a mother who wants to be her teenage son’s “first”, this movie covers some of the most random, insane and disgusting scenarios one can imagine. Griffin Schraeder soon realizes that he’s listening to the cinematic brainchild of a mad man, and ends up being forced to sit through the entire pitch.
Personally, i am a big fan of raunchy, crude, “tongue-in-cheek” and politically incorrect humor. However, for such humor to work, it has to be presented in a snappy, quick-witted, and somewhat sophisticated fashion. You will find none of that here. After watching Movie 43, i realized that (other than to shock, gross-out and mentally numb the film’s viewers) the people responsible for this piece of work seemingly never gave any serious thought to making a solid comedy. The “humor” is as stupid and childish as it gets, and right when you think it can’t get any worse, the next segment is lined up and ready to prove you wrong.
The performance of Movie 43’s ensemble cast is equally flat and uninspired across the board, with some minor exceptions from a few of the actors and actresses whom are awkwardly floating between a rock and a hard place. In spite of bad writing and directing, Naomi Watts, Emma Stone, and a handful of others manage to (somehow) bust out their acting chops and bring their characters’ despicable and ludicrous actions to the screen in a somewhat believable manner. Unfortunately, too few of such moments actually occur, yet they serve as the only redeeming quality in an otherwise borderline unwatchable feature.
Not much can be said about 20th Century Fox’s Movie 43 video transfer. Colors are solid throughout and blacks are generally pretty good, albeit not as deep as we’d like them to be. Skin tones look natural and there is plenty of clarity and detail to be seen.
The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track is the only audio track included on the disc. Fortunately, it’s about a solid as it gets for a film like this. Dialogue is crisp and clear throughout, and never feels like it’s pushed back when surround activity increases in volume. A number of Movie 43’s segments include scenes where music gets loud, and it sounds great. The LFE are nice and punchy without being overly loud, while mids and highs remain intact. Overall, this is an excellent audio track.
In terms of supplements there is a theatrical trailer for the film, a sneak peek and an extra segment called “Find Our Daughter”. I’m not entirely sure whether this is supposed to be a deleted scene kind of extra or just a random segment to give viewers some more material to “laugh” at. Either way, it’s of the same cringe inducing quality as the main feature. Last and definitely least; one of the extras included on the disc is an alternate cut of the film, which shows the same segments presented within a different “story”. If you enjoyed the main feature, you’ll most likely enjoy this one, too. However, in light of one of the film’s segments i’ll just say this; whether you present a turd on a paper plate or on a silver platter, the fact remains that a turd is turd.
Obviously, I didn’t like Movie 43. However, the fact that this film is what it is, doesn’t bother me. What bothers me is the question of “What were they thinking?” while watching something like this. It makes me wonder how film studios, producers, directors, editors and above all; these “Top Dog” actors and actresses anticipate how well their “film” will end up doing. Have we moviegoers and film fanatics given these people the impression that this is the kind of stuff we like to see? Are bad movies really that successful at the box office? I regret to say the answer to that question is “Yes”.
The worst part of this film is watching our favorite actors disgrace themselves for the sake of shallow, surface-level “entertainment” at the expense of their fans. The moment i watched Kate Winslet’s obviously forced and unnatural reaction to Hugh Jackman’s character taking his scarf off, i wondered what could have possibly coerced these two to sign up for something like this. This film is so bad, that I continuously felt like it could unfold at any given moment, and turn out to be an “Actors prank fans” scenario. To my disappointment, this is not the case. If you’re like me, and occasionally subject your friends to a “This is so bad, it’s hilarious” film for the sake of your own amusement, this film is a great choice. However, you should wait for it to end up in the bargain bin, or buy it used. If you’re actually interested in Movie 43, I strongly recommend you go for a rental before purchasing.