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Rating: Ben Stiller's career is ambiguous: when he lets loose, showcasing the most surreal and free comedy ("Zoolander," "Dodgeball," but also "There's Something About Mary" and the first film of the "Meet the..." series), he is one of the most interesting comedians of recent decades, often serving the plot and acting as an unwitting sidekick and inspiration for his fellow members of the so-called "Frat Pack" (Owen and Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Jack Black, Will Ferrell, Steve Carell). When he changes tune to surreal films like "The Royal Tenenbaums," he shows uncommon versatility, and his multifaceted talent makes him an appreciable director, although confined to the routine of genre films ("Reality Bites," "The Cable Guy"). I must say I appreciate less his performances in some blockbusters, where his flair is perhaps constrained by rather rigid subjects and scripts ("Starsky & Hutch," "Night at the Museum"), while his appearances in romantic comedies like "Along Came Polly" leave me puzzled, well-made but routine products, perhaps betraying his irreverent and mocking nature, here even outshone by the splendid performance of Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Regardless of the opinions one might have about good old Ben, there is no doubt that, within the current American film landscape, he is one of the most interesting and, overall, less predictable figures, standing against polished stars like the various Brad Pitt and company, as well as the circle of pseudo-engaged charmers like George Clooney and friends. Obviously, Stiller will only be recognized when, fifty or so, he decides to interpret some dramatic film on his own terms, perhaps under the direction of a Spielberg or a Soderbergh, winning the deserved compensatory Oscar.
The movie I'm reviewing, built around his character - without the skilled character actors or the usual friends' cameos - does not do justice to Ben's talent, resulting in a product neither here nor there despite the signature of the Farrelly brothers, authors of "There's Something About Mary" and a series of films that, at the end of the '90s, with protagonists like Jim Carrey, Jack Black, et cetera, combined slapstick and assorted vulgarities to scandalize the usual well-meaning people.
In this perspective, "The Heartbreak Kid," not coincidentally adapted from a Neil Simon comedy, seems an attempt to update Ben's character (usual clumsy, insecure, yet competent enough to navigate the world... certainly not the psychotic Yiddish of his co-religionist Woody), and the Farrelly's wit, to more adult themes and more sophisticated comedy, although not without forays into the most irritating triviality (see the scene of the jellyfish and the remedies against its stings).
The plot is rather flat and banal, narrating the exploits of a man-child incapable of forming lasting relationships with women, so superficial he marries a few weeks after meeting the presumed woman of his life (actually far from the image he had of her), engaging in a platonic relationship with another "ideal" woman during the honeymoon. The comedy unfolds through clichés, without authentic surprises, save for a timid twist in the end that, however, veers the story into farce. Occasionally you laugh wryly, except in certain scenes where Stiller's expressiveness resurfaces forcefully. Often, you find yourself bored, imagining how the various segments of the film will end.
The staging and location are decent, the choice and performance of the co-stars are good (especially Ben's real father, Jerry Stiller), the soundtrack is just passable and heavily insists on David Bowie.
Given the current screenings in theaters, it is a film that may deserve a viewing - without expectations or enthusiasm -, as demonstrated by its good box office success. As for the rest, we await Ben's upcoming releases, hoping that his great future is not behind him. But I don’t think so. He's a guy who will make it, even if he has narrow shoulders.
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