comment #1

The InSneider says ...

Eh, I was with you on the review but this might be taking it one step too far. While I really liked Bateman in the film and the subtle comic relief he provides in such a serious movie, I thought its tone was a little out of synch with the rest of the movie. I just don't necessarily feel that Bateman needed to play this role. It was a little distracting, but I guess that's just because I'm accustomed to seeing him in comedies, not political thrillers. And he's a pretty big piece of the puzzle in SoP. I think we're still waiting on a breakout supporting performance, although for me, Jackie Earle Haley's Rorschach is the closest supporting perf I've seen that deserves serious awards consideration. Otherwise, it'd be Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker... and maybe Malkovich if you could argue that he takes a backseat to Colin Hanks' character in The Great Buck Howard.

comment #2

Imogen says ...

I would also like to state for the record that Michael Caine will get a Best Actor nomination for "Is Anyone There?"

comment #3

Mark says ...

If Bateman accepts a major award for this, I wonder if other comedic actors would wish to give up their current salaries to switch positions with him. Mainly referring to Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, and Vince Vaughn, all of whom tried drama and could have nailed Foy had they not allowed themselves to be pigeonholed into bankrolling broad comedies.

comment #4

Colin says ...

I don't think you can lump Rudd in with Vaughn and Wilson. Wilson and Vaughn haven't been in anything that remotley challenges family audiences for several years.

comment #5

Colin says ...

*remotely

comment #6

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Bateman's good. With this and the Mike Judge movie he's starring in, it could be a good year career-wise. Failing that, there's always the Arrested Development film to fall back on.

comment #7

Ray says ...

Bateman has comic timing that has been passed down by the gods. I never understood why he had that long layoff in his career, but I'm so glad he's climbing out of the abyss.

comment #8

MilkMan says ...

Good to see that shit still floats to the top in Hollywood.

comment #9

televisiontears says ...

Oh come on, MM. It's pretty hard to deny that Bateman's a talented guy. Care to make an argument? I'm honestly curious.

comment #10

Mark says ...

i don't think 5th lead in SOP + Mike Judge > than Best Pic nomination + 3rd lead in $700M WW movie.

As far as Rudd, I include him as he is past the tipping point. The Role Models + I Love You Man combo is akin to Duplex + Along Came Polly, where the dye has been cast. (Stiller had no more Tennanbaums or Permanent Midnights in him.)

comment #11

rr3333 says ...

I look forward to a Silver Spoons reunion.

comment #12

actionman says ...

Bateman's cameo in Smokin' Aces is priceless

comment #13

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Don't be daft, Mark. Role Models and ILYM were both well received and Rudd in particular was highlighted by critics as a crucial part of their success. Duplex was a bomb and Along Came Polly was far more of a conventional studio comedy than ILYM. Can you see Rudd doing The Heartbreak Kid or A Night at The Museum?

comment #14

MilkMan says ...

Ooga-booga.

comment #15

BurmaShave says ...

BoshBarnet, Paul Rudd is actually in NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, so that's pretty funny, but I know what you mean. I think you're both selling Stiller short though, TROPIC THUNDER was a heck of a movie and very smart.

Also MilkMan, you are really off your game lately. Leave the bitter shit to the rest of us, we rely on you for something more.

comment #16

berkguru says ...

bateman - very likeable, talented, underated

smoking aces - absolute garbage

actionman - increasingly annoying

milkman - 98% right (thought it was 100% until today's posts)

comment #17

MilkMan says ...

And comparing I Love You Man and Along Came Polly is not only justified, but spot-on. Along Came Polly followed that year's template (Farrelly-gross out sweet) and ILYM follows this year's template (Apatow-vulgar sweet). Same shit different year.

comment #18

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Burma: haha! I had no idea he was in it. I guess what I meant to say is that Rudd wouldn't be toplining a big-budget studio "event" comedy like, say, ANATM or Evan Almighty, etc. He's got some box office clout now, but only in the Apatow-type roles. It stands to reason he's doing a cameo in Year One rather than playing Jack Black's role.

comment #19

MilkMan says ...

But I am feeling so very bitter for the last week or so, Burma. What should I do? Fake it? No way. You should see my facebook page. I've had nine people de-friend me in the last 48 hours.

comment #20

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Comparing I Love You Man and Along Came Polly makes total sense, given that they were directed by the same dude. But they're very different films. Stiller was a big star back then and Aniston was on another of her attempts to become America's sweetheart. ILYM is much smaller scale in comparison. I mean really Rudd has only carried one recent movie as the lead, whereas Stiller had been doing it for years by the time ACP opened.

comment #21

bmcintire says ...

MilkMan - cancel your Facebook account (and your MySpace or Twitter if you have them). You will thank yourself for it in about twenty minutes.

comment #22

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Twitter is shit, for sure. But Facebook is a very convenient way of keeping in touch with a lot of people with minimal effort.

comment #23

Jonah says ...

Milkman

No offense. It's just that you've gone from the most original and unpredictable guy here (and the main reason I read the comments sections at all) to the most bitter and predictable.

You can do better.

comment #24

Discman says ...

Great post, Jeffrey. I think you were too kind toward the movie overall-- it was just alright, which means it was disappointing -- but for 20 minutes while Bateman was on screen, that sucker came alive!

comment #25

lipranzer says ...

Actually, Bateman has the toughest comparison to the original miniseries, because Marc Warren did such a vivid job in the role. And Bateman's not wearing The Coat in the film, which is kind of disappointing. Still, I like him, so we'll see.

comment #26

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Someone tell D.Z. that Tarantino's on American Idol right now.

Why in the name of shitting crikey he is, I don't know.

comment #27

azmoviegoer says ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

the trailer for Extract...looks like it has potential based on the cast...I hope they gave J K Simmons lots of good lines for this one...he is hilarious whens he's got good material

comment #28

Less Anderson says ...

MilkMan, don't let em get you down- I think youre still hilarious?

and what's up with everyone bagging on him all of a sudden? human nature makes me cringe so often these days.

comment #29

Less Anderson says ...

haha, i didnt mean to have that first exclamation point...

I'm Ron Burgundy?

comment #30

Less Anderson says ...

question mark rather.

okaaaaay. i'm leaving the building.

comment #31

JT says ...

Bateman kicked ass in HANCOCK.

comment #32

Wes Caline says ...

Hancock was a MASTERPIECE.

comment #33

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

"But Facebook is a very convenient way of keeping in touch with a lot of people with minimal effort."

Read your sentence again and honestly tell me if those people are really worth keeping in touch with to begin with.

comment #34

Less Anderson says ...

i'm not on it incessantly like a lot of people but it really is a great way to connect.

you must be 40.

comment #35

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Yeah, you can't maintain close friendships with everyone you meet in life. At the same time, it doesn't mean you never want to hear from them again.

comment #36

KC says ...

I'm not sure I can take SoP seriously now I've seen Tammy Littlenut is the girl who gets bumped off. Come to think of it, could Wells' thing for this movie be borne out of the thrill of seeing a dead ginger on the big screen?

comment #37

actionman says ...

Thanks for the shout-out, berkguru. It's nice to know I have another fan! Glad you like my work.

Bateman has been good or great in just about everything he's appeared in. And yes, Hancock is indeed AWESOME! (just for you, actionlover!)

comment #38

berkguru says ...

Facebook is for retards. I have seen my wife's page (not that she is that much of a retard) and all you get is a bunch of narcissistic twits posting about the inane moments in their tedious lives.

Who gives a fock if Jane Blondy waited in line at the grocery store for 10 minutes or if Joe Father's daughter was in a school play.

If you havent talked with 95% of the people on your Facebook friend's list in 10-20 years, there is a good reason for it.

comment #39

Mark says ...

Along Came Polly was Stiller's first non-special movie that he carried to box office. (Mary and Parents were unique phenomenoms.) ILYM similarly proved that Rudd can carry a movie that no one really gave a shit about or will remember in 5 years. In that respect, Rudd has gained huge clout in the genre, and the powers that be will try to keep him earning there, hence no more Cider House Rules or Great Gasby (Actually, maybe that's a good thing in Rudd's case.)

comment #40

MilkMan says ...

I love how these new social networking applications are creating new types of relationships. There is a space in between being a friend and a non-friend and that is the space you occupy on Facebook. These kinds of relationships didn't exist twenty years ago. I think maybe everyone is starting to take that for granted. Old people think they see right through it, but they can't, they can't see through it all, which is what makes them mad, because if they could see through it they would see something that they are not included in what comes next. That's when you know you are old. When they concept of the future disappears.

comment #41

erniesouchak says ...

Meh. I would have nominated Bateman for "Hancock" before I'd nominate him for "State of Play."

comment #42

JosephB says ...

I'm going into this one with some trepidation. The original 5 hour BBC mini-series was incredibly good.... intricately plotted and featured some great supporting turns by Bill Nighy and a host of British faces. With a little over 2 hours, I'm wondering how they can cram so much into the thing without losing some flair.

comment #43

bfm says ...

MilkMan, I've always enjoyed your posts. Your dialogue between Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson was hilarious ("Is it Chris?"). So was your riff on what to wear to see Into The Wild. I invariably look out for your name to see what you've written and I'm usually in awe of your quick mind and writing talent. I do agree that you're not your usual self lately (and I don't mean that in a critical sense but just as an observation). Hope things pick up for you soon.

comment #44

Gordon27 says ...

Hey, as bitter as it was, I think the defense he just mounted for the 'Polly' / 'Love You' comparison was quite interesting. I don't neccessarily agree with it, but it's an intriguing comparison.

I like Paul Rudd a lot more than Ben Stiller, but I do admit, Stiller has been heavily creatively involved in some very funny stuff, and seems great at helping other comedic talent rise (I mean, he eventually sucks them dry, like Owen Wilson, and then moves on... somebody better warn Danny McBride, come to think of it...).

comment #45

BurmaShave says ...

MilkMan's masterpiece remains his synopsis for the imaginary 1970s film BUTCHER (I believe), starring Yaphet Kotto. He wrote it about the time KILLER OF SHEEP was getting its re-release 2 years ago. One of the strangest things I've ever read, and the hardest I can remember laughing.

comment #46

Bob Violence says ...

#14

Thanks to George Prager for saving this one -- Google doesn't turn up anything else.

comment #47

Michael says ...

Facebook is for retards. I have seen my wife's page (not that she is that much of a retard)

My first wife was a 'tard. She's a pilot now.

comment #48

nemo says ...

"... Marc Warren did such a vivid job in the role. And Bateman's not wearing The Coat in the film, which is kind of disappointing."

The Coat! The Coat! When we rented the British State of Play, I made a crack about The Coat every time it showed up on screen. My wife said, That Coat really gets to you, doesn't it. I replied, it makes me want to retch! But I can't take my eyes off it!

Warren was delightful, flouncing around in his constant self-pity. I'd be happy if Bateman is half that good. Too bad about The Coat, though. It was hairier and curlier and crazier looking than a Portuguese water dog.

comment #49

nemo says ...

I kept wonder what The Coat smelled like. Probably like an unwashed yak that had spent a couple of years lounging in a hashish den.

comment #50

DarthCorleone says ...

Milkman is 100 percent correct about Facebook.

Just because time and distance remove people from my life, that does not mean they were lacking as true friends, and it certainly does not mean that I no longer care about them. For me, it's a good way to stay abreast of what's going on for my old friends. Yes, there is a bit of superficiality to the site, and sometimes staying in touch there becomes obligatory or a poor substitute for the better friendship you once had. But it's something, and it's a comfort for me to see people there from the different eras of my life.

Primarily I just use it to play Lexulous, though.

comment #51

free games says ...

I would also like to state for the record that Michael Caine will get a Best Actor nomination for "Is Anyone There?"

comment #52

Marlet says ...

What a nice man he is. Also Michael caine went to my school!
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comment #53

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comment #54

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