Intelligent comedy is quite possibly one of my favorite genres yet something I rarely seem to find. Typically, there's...
* potty humor favored by 3rd grade boys (and all boys for that matter - sorry to generalize but c'mon mates - it's true)
* romantic comedies (which guys don't go to unless they're dragged, begged, pleaded with)
* black comedy (ala Coen Bros...there's always that fine line...should I be laughing at this?)
* slapstick (has its time and place, can't say I could have managed without "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and classics like Chaplin)
Then...there's the ever-elusive/ever-satisfying witty & clever comedy. Guess what? Much to my utter surprise - The Hangover is just such a discovery. It's super funny. On paper...I was set up for the usual potty humor antics and I was, to be fair - as a female viewer - a bit uninterested...I knew the following pieces of the equation:
Vegas (gross)
Bachelor party weekend (grosser)
Hangover (bodily noises on the horizon)
What does The Hangover actually offer? Hilarity & sharp writing. Fantastic characters played by a terrific troupe of actors. And for once, Heather Graham was bearable, don't worry guys - she still shows a little. Our story takes place over the course of a couple days. Our future groom, the bride's brother, and two compadres take off to Vegas for one last hurrah. Chaos ensues. Simple - but yet somehow not as conventional as you would think. The script is truly biting and the punchlines outshine each other as each one is delivered. It's as ridiculous as it is worst case scenario-handbook. You never know what will be revealed next and it just keeps getting better and better. Certainly worth a rental and even worth checking it out in the theater while it's still out.
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