Movies.ie

• Critic rating
• Currently 3/5 Stars.

Movies.ie Critic Review

When nice guy Tim (Helms) finds himself leaving his small hometown to represent his insurance company in the annual Two Diamond competition, it’s his first time flying. And his first time being flirted with. And getting legless drunk. And befriending a prostitute. And discovering that some upstanding citizens have dark, twisted secrets.

THE VERDICT: With The Hangover II just around the corner, and The US Office flying high, Ed Helms (who plays dentist Stu in the former, and would-be lothario Andy Bernard in the latter) is given his leading man break in this somewhat predictable but sweetly enjoyable American indie comedy. All you really need to know is that Alexander Payne produces. Reilly plays the asshole beautifully, and Heche makes for a fine kind-hearted hussy, and if this isn’t quite Tin Men or American Beauty, there are moments. Such as Whitlock’s character rhapsodizing about The Wire – a fine HBO series in which Whitlock happens to play Senator Clay “Shiiiiiit” Davis.

Review by Paul Byrne 

• Avg User rating
• Currently 3/5 Stars.

User Reviews

• • Currently 1/5 Stars.

  JudiG

  

  Really, really bad movie. Saw it on a plane - glad I didn't pay to see it. Not even remotely funny, don;t know I watched it to the end

• • Currently 1/5 Stars.

  jen:D

  

  what a boring film... Was expecting alot from this film, and for me.. it flopped!!

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  LemonShmush

  

  Funny and entertaining. Almost made an Anne Heche fan out of me. Definitely worth a look.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  WildRose86

  

  A delightful little film! Uptight insurance seller goes on a weekend away for fun and debauchery, much to his religious and naive ways. Splendid and charming, with a feel good factor of living life, experiencing everythin on offer and making new friends. Full of humour and questionable wallpaper.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  Randy

  

  A highly enjoyable comedy, very much for those who are stuck at a boring job and dream of an adventurous getaway at a spa hotel, with the pretext of going to a seminar. A nice cast which sells even the dirty jokes, and a great cameo from Sigourney Weaver. Also a bit of 'doing the right thing' thrown in.

• • Currently 2/5 Stars.

  ste_

  

  Some funny parts in it but all in all a pretty average film.

• • Currently 2/5 Stars.

  plantman

  

  Not great, i read good things about this film but it just didnt deliver, the plot just was not strong enough to make it a full length movie, the reason behind the two stars are the two the wire jokes in the film

• • Currently 3/5 Stars.

  vu1999uk

  

  While this movie is enjoyable and John C Reilly is as usual excellent in a supporting role, this film is never as good as it should be. It just seems to hold back from the all out comedy it should be. It feels very short and you wonder if there is a better film on the cutting room floor. But still a good solid 3 star comedy, as in few big laughs but amusing throughout.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  eliza64

  

  Cedar Rapids reminded me of my favorite film of all time It's a wonderful life. No ju ju's petals or suicide but American mid west and small town hopes and dreams. If you work in Insurance this film is for you. It is funny and feel good. Thanks to Le cool Dublin for the tickets.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  mell61

  

  Starting slow and working up to a very funny movie. John C Reilly is fantastic, completely OTT yet never quite a caricature.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  ssconnolly

  

  First things first, what's it all about? Well Cedar Rapids is about Tim Lippe, a well-mannered and uptight guy working as an insurance salesman in quiet Wisconsin. He lives an unspectacular life, he doesn't drink alcohol, he's pre-engaged' to his old teacher and is selling insurance to help people achieve their dreams, something he never managed to do himself. But Tim's quiet life suddenly gets a kick in the backside in the wake of the accidental death of one of Tim's colleagues in controversial circumstances. Tim is sent to Cedar Rapids to repair the firms tainted name and bring home their fourth consecutive two-diamond award. But soon after his arrival Tim meets fun loving Zeigler who doesn't take long to corrupt Tim, turning the usually straight acting insurance man into a boozing miscreant and lands him in a situation which puts his job and his relationships on the line. Boasting some fine comedy performances from an impressive cast, Cedar Rapids may not have been what anyone expected but this was a lovely film to show near the end of this years JDIFF. In the end the fact no one had heard of it became its greatest asset. When people haven't heard of a film they usually assume its because it's not worth hearing about. And so this film was able to come out of nowhere and keep a 300 strong crowd laughing consistently. It's a hilarious film which doesn't need to resort to childish jokes and crudeness to get the laughs. It does have some of those jokes, I mean they can never hurt, but it's also a lot smarter than expected. I know every comedy released is compared to The Hangover but with the antics going on in the film you can see a connection, but throw in elements of the Promotion (also starring Reilly) and maybe Observe and Report (for the lonely oddball element) and you're close to knowing what the expect from this. Obviously there were problems, the worst of which was some sloppy editing which made the film a little choppy at times. This was a running problem throughout but was especially noticeable at the start of the film when director Migueal Arteta seemed to try and cram as much establishing information as he could into a short amount of time. It's made the start feel too rushed and by the time we're thrown in the action I felt that by rushing the characters introduction we didn't know as well as we maybe should have. It was always going to come back and bite them on the ass and it did as the problem only got more noticeable and irritating with time. They needed to do a few more scenes focused solely on his home life, his possible loneliness, his hopes and dreams and all that crap. It sounds cheesy but it is important. Apart from that though their aren't a lot of flaws. Ed Helms takes a break from his various supporting roles in the likes of the U.S Office and the highly anticipated sequel to The Hangover for his first lead role and he handles it quite well. He isn't the best in some of the more emotional scenes but he provides a strong, sympathetic and funny performance. The plot was weak and so it was up to Helms to keep things moving and he did so competently. It was John C. Reilly however who really stole the show. His hilarious performance as the rude, fun-loving Zeigler is great and I can really say the film wouldn't have been quite as good if not for his involvement. He is in my opinion one of the finest comedy actors working today but he doesn't really get the praise he deserves. Possibly due to the fact that he does his best work in very underrated comedy hits such Talladega Knights, Walk Hard and The Promotion. But he's on top form here and almost single-handedly makes this more of a hit than a miss. The supporting players aren't completely outshone though and a lot of them actually do make an impact in their smaller roles. Isiah Whitlock Jr., a.k.a Omar from The Wire plays the straight man for the most part but does come out with some brilliant lines. Their not rude or inappropriate, just funny and in the end he actually provided perhaps the two biggest laughs of the film. And those two jokes are genuinely genius, you'll know them when you hear them. Anne Heche also does a fine job. She's the only girl amongst a lot of men in this film but she doesn't let that effect her and she gives a nice, charming display with a good few laughs. Some other faces pop up for more brief but worthy appearances such as Sigourney Weaver, Alia Shawcet (Maeby from Arrested Development), Rob Cordrry, Kurtwood Smith and Stephen Root. And you should recognise these names better when you see the people who own them. So all in all Cedar Rapids is a wildly funny, engaging and often touching film which is more than worthy of a trip to the cinema. It's not amazing and to be honest it is unlikely to be remembered for years to come but it is the best film I've seen this year and I would really recommend it. If you go in with an open mind, as everyone at the surprise film was forced to then you will really enjoy it.

• • Currently 1/5 Stars.

  Ellegibbons

  

  My partner is a fan of J.C. Reilly and he even found this movie fell flat in gaining any humour. I was disapointed after reading the positive reviews, and it has put me off going to the cinema unless I really feel I would enjoy the film. No laughs - not one person in the cinema had a laugh = NOT WORTH SPENDING MONEY!!

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  BIGBADBRIAN

  

  Saw this at the JDFF surprise screening. Was not expecting it, but i really enjoyed it. Its pretty funny and John C.Reilly is the business in it. He will make your eyes water with the things he says in this film. Its a nicely directed small film. Anne Heche is pretty decent as the love interest and Ed Helms is a good lead for a film of this size. You will really like this film. Its a good comedy with good heart.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  masonica

  

  A genuine movie that doesn't preach or try to be oscar-bait. John C Reilly brings his very strong comedic abilities to this film and the other actors bring their A game as a result. A great cast that give great performances. Not a great choice for JDIFF's surprise film but it is a good film.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  Bigeamo

  

  I liked this more than I expected to. Maybe I've been to too many conferences...

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