Dinner for Schmucks

Plot synopsis:
Tim Conrad is a mid-level financial executive, who comes up with a way to invite wealthy Swiss businessman Martin Mueller to become a client of his firm. Impressed by Tim's ingenuity, his boss Lance Fender invites him to a "dinner for winners" in which he must find and bring an eccentric person with a special talent; the winner earns a trophy and the executive that brought him or her gets glory. He learns it is more of a "dinner for idiots", and the partygoers will be mocked. Tim's girlfriend Julie lands a curator deal for eccentric artist Kieran Vollard and Tim unsuccessfully proposes to her. After learning of the cruel nature of the dinner party, Julie becomes upset and asks him not to attend and he agrees.
Tim accidentally hits IRS employee Barry Speck with his car when Barry tries to retrieve a dead mouse in the road. Witnessing Barry's bizarre behavior, Tim realizes he is the perfect loser for the dinner. Barry shows up at Tim's apartment and accidentally invites over Darla, who had a one-night stand with Tim years ago and has been stalking him. Barry decides to guard Tim's apartment from Darla to make up for inviting her. When Julie arrives at his apartment, Barry mistakes her for Darla and sends her away, giving Julie the impression that Tim is cheating on her. Barry calls Vollard and finds the number saved in the phone. While talking to him, he and Tim think they hear Julie in the background and head to Vollard's apartment. Barry tosses Tim's keys through Vollard's apartment window and must break in, only to find Kieran preparing to make love to two girls dressed like animals (neither are Julie) and head back home.
Barry opens the door to find Darla waiting outside. Julie calls and asks Tim if he's having an affair and Darla steals the phone and stuffs it down her pants. While Tim hides in his bedroom, Darla and Barry get into a bar-styled fight, scaring Darla away. Julie left her phone at Tim's apartment and a voice message from Vollard reveals that Julie is leaving for his ranch. Barry works for the IRS and offers to take Tim to work to find Vollard's ranch address, where they meet up with Barry's boss and rival, Therman Murch, who stole Barry's wife. Tim leaves the next day for his brunch with the Muellers but Barry crashes, with Darla pretending to be Julie. Tim is pushed into asking Darla to marry him by Barry and Julie walks in during. Tim and Barry chase Julie down to Vollard's ranch, where Tim accidentally offends Barry.
To his surprise, Tim found Barry already at Fender's dinner party. Barry is a hit with the group and is a shoo-in for the trophy, but unexpectedly, Therman arrives, embarrassing Barry with his mind control. Tim then tells Barry everything and, after some encouragement, gets Barry to win with "brain control", before causing his boss and fellow executives to reveal the truth. A guest reacts badly to the news and causes chaos in the process, with Mueller losing a finger. Tim is fired, as is Julie after Barry makes Vollard realize it would be a problem to have her continue working for him. Tim marries Julie, Barry enters into a relationship with Darla, does some artwork with Vollard, and hosts a monthly "breakfast for champions" for all of the losers. Therman writes a book in the mental hospital and Tim gets a new museum started in Switzerland for Mueller. Fender's company goes into a big loss and he is named "Wall Street's Biggest Loser".

Tags: psychedelic, humor

Review:
"The idiot" is funny because he is clumsy, do some stuffs too quick without thinking of the aftermaths, but he is not in any way somebody that look like he escape from an asylum with 10 of IQ like Carrel character in this remake..Very hard to go to the end of this movie..
My English isn't good enough to express what i fell about this movie but for me its a waste, a shame consedering the original material, as i said its my first review her but i had to warm people.
An IRS worker, with a passion for creating art from taxidermied mice, Barry might just be the perfect man to help Tim win the competition.The US version of The Office has shown us that Carell can do awkward better than most and Anchorman proved his capabilities of making stupidity funny.
Paul Rudd, on the other hand, is given little opportunity to make us laugh, playing two-dimensional straight man, Tim. Director Jay Roach's previous franchises (Austin Powers, Meet the Parents/Fockers) may not have been the greatest comedies of the past fifteen years, but delivered as and when expected.
On the night where Pierre and his "schmuck are supposed to go to dinner Pierre hurts his back and is unable to attend the dinner, therefore the evening takes a very strange turn of events including his wife's ex-husband an I.R.S inspector and a car accident.When David Guion and Michael Handelman put there hands on this script not only did they change the whole idea of the movie they also transformed it's meaning, the original version had a deeply ironic tone in which Francois Pignon (Tim) trying to do the right thing makes everything worse whereas in this version everything finishes well.In the American remake the movie is filled with an insane artist, a crazy ex-girlfriend and a psychic nemesis.
The only positive note is the act of both Steve Carell and Paul Rudd who despite a shaky scenario manage to pull off a great performance.To sum-up I highly recommend the original version and advise you to stay away from the American re-make..
As a fan of Steve Carell and Paul Rudd (not to mention Jermaine Clement and Zak G) and sometimes of director Jay Roach, it's hard to reckon how none of these talented people noticed how strained, mean-spirited and downright ridiculous this comedy is.
He has a way of saying and doing the most outrageous things while maintaining a demeanor that lets us believe that he hasn't the slightest clue that his behavior is the least bit odd, even his hobby of making cute dioramas with dead mice.The first half of the film is genuinely funny, as it observes Barry and his world as he looks out with wide eyes, a goofy smile.
Once we get to know Barry, the movie tries to mix a riot of slapstick comedy with moments of sentimentality that are mostly made up of half-baked speeches about the value of friendship.The third act gets the film back on track somewhat as we finally arrive at that dinner party.
Paul Rudd and Steve Carrell are amazing actors...with that said this film gave nothing for either of them to work with.
This film may be a good reason to carry around a can of mace to hit yourself in the eyes and think to yourself, Hey I could be watching this movie instead!.
With two likable and talented actors like Steve Carell and Paul Rudd at the helm one hoped that the American remake wouldn't be a complete disaster.
Any film I spend the money on viewing, I anticipate greatness from, 2010 has not fulfilled my desire up until Inception and Dinner For Schmucks, Jay Roach has put together a masterpiece, with brilliant actors and a brilliant (Originally French) script!
From the Previews, i must say this movie looks like it would fall before is even tried to walk, but Schmucks is surprising in every way, including a touch of romance, and it's heartwarming tendencies!.
Dinner for Schmucks is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time.
Can't understand any of the bad reviews - if you like Steve Carell, Paul Rudd and Jay Roach movies - then this is for you - one of the funniest projects any of them has been involved in..
Also, speaking of movies such as the hangover, the jokes were generally a lot more involved and some even required some thinking to get(such as when Therman, the mind controller states how "the brain, like all other muscles, have pressure points which can be pushed," which becomes pretty hilarious after you realize the brain isn't a muscle.
He serendipitously meets a naturally outrageously funny character, played by Steve Carell, and complexity and a laugh until you hurt story unfolds..
The witty theatrical screenplay is intelligent and hilarious and I laughed a lot along the 80 minutes running time.Unfortunately I have decided to see this American remake expecting a funny comedy but the plot is so ridiculous that I did not laugh.
The clumsy character of Steve Carell is extremely annoying, stupid, irritating and never funny and there is no explanation why the clever Tim stays with him after the initial mess with Julie.
I liked Steve Carell, as Barry, because surprisingly of all the over the top characters in this movie, he was the most believable and lovable and I'm not a fan.
The dialogs were more tongue in cheek than laugh out loud funny and I really feel sorry for people who think this is the funniest movie ever I was also very disappointed that the actual dinner wasn't in the movie, because I expected the French to outshine the remake in it.
So if you like Steve Carell you'll love this movie and as a remake I think it did improve on the original even though they gave it a typical Hollywood ending.
going back to the original movie, which was so good, so funny and became so popular in France, that you would know the lines coming up next as you watched the movie so many time, it is such a disgrace that Americans butcher the whole movie like that.
With such a great cast, I was really looking forward to watching this film, I love both Rudd and Carrel's work and think they are great in most comedies they star.Unfortunately this film must be one of the worse films I have watched in a long time, its so terribly bad it didn't get a single laugh out of me for the whole film, in fact I had to commit myself to watch it to the end, and it took me 3 days to finish the viewing.
(Then again, I'm not exactly a movie critic, am I?) I think you have to like a certain kind of humor to enjoy this movie.The actors were great and overall I thought it was hilarious.
Offbeat, but I laughed.) Dinner for Schmucks is obviously not a movie for everyone, but I honestly believe this is a comedy that can be appreciated more by yourself, rather then having company over.
Let's also hope this isn't a sign of things to come for Jermaine Clement, whose cult television hit Flight Of The Conchords is in a completely different league to this offering.Dinner For Schmucks has somehow managed to be worse than any fan of the original could possibly have feared when the remake was announced.
Dinner for Schmucks it's not only a clever, well-acted and hilarious comedy, it's comedy with lots of heart and although it's a bit stupid it's definitely my 6th favorite movie.
Sow, Dinner for Schmucks is a terrific movie, it's not for everybody but it is for me, it's a light-hearted hilarious and stupid comedy that I just have re-watched thousands of times and I can't seem to get tired of.
Tim was definitely not going, but later, he has second thoughts when he accidentally runs over Barry (Steve Carell), a harmless guy who's work is at IRS and who's hobby is to make sets and pictures with dead mice.
The chemistry between Steve and Zach was fantastic and the scene where they both imaginary fight is a movie classic.Overall, Dinner for Schmucks is my 6th favorite movie without any doubts, it's funny, heart warming, very well-acted, hilarious, entertaining, fun, very well directed, very well written and still, I don't know how is it so much underrated- Highly recommended.
I admit i didn't expect much, because, there were too many dumb comedies out there that were way too overrated, but Dinner For Schmucks made me cough from laughter.The interesting thing about this movie is that if you go through the reviews, half of them hate it & half of them love it.
i mean there must be a review like mine on the stupid overrated comedies i hated.Even though The 40 Year Old Virgin was one of the worst, not funny( 1 or 2 giggles in 2 long hours of stupidity) overrated comedies i have ever seen, Steve Carrell is one of very few actors who can really act funny & for me , Dinner For Schmucks was his best work since The OfficePaul Rudd always brings this nice warm feeling into a film.
Steve Carrell's character is so annoying that it really was impossible to feel sorry for him by the end which I think was what the movie was going for.Once you finally make it to the dinner (if you haven't walked out by then) which I mistakenly expected to be a more prominent part of the film based on trailers and that the movie title is, in fact, DINNER for Schmucks, the movie actually is quite entertaining with only a few instances of groan-inducing "humor." Then, 15 minutes later, the movie is blessedly over.
I left feeling that I would have been better served had the dinner scene been a skit on SNL and saved me the money and time of the rest of this steaming pile.In case you're skimming reviews: Avoid This Movie..
An Americanised remake of the French comedy Le Diner De Cons (1998), Dinner For Schmucks puts together an admirable cast of comics, including Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Jemaine Clement (of Flight Of The Concords fame) and Zach Galifianakis.
I understand that his star is growing rapidly, but his name is just too hard to type, so for the rest of this article he will be 'Fat Jesus.' Nonetheless, this film delivers laughs and emotion in satisfying doses, and something I would definitely recommend.Paul Rudd plays Tim, who works a nothing job in Generic Financial Firm #17, until his superiors offer him the chance at a promotion.
In fact, his character is reminiscent of Russell Brand as Aldous Snow (Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek), but Clement comes right out of left field with excellent line delivery and tone, coupled with some fantastic physical comedy.Paul Rudd may receive top billing, but make no mistakeSteve Carell drives this film.
Nah.Instead, watch the movie that "inspired" this one, called The Dinner Game (Le Diner De Cons) (7.7): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119038/ It has the finesse, subtlety and humor that characterize good French movies.I laughed out loud many times during The Dinner Game.
Me and anyone else who was fooled into hoping that a movie by such comedic powerhouses as Steve Carell and Paul Rudd would be worth the $14 ticket price.
This movie after all is a message to us, to inside the good inside each one of us, to respect those good people who look like idiots, we have to take about them and stop making fun and jokes out of them, because God gave them limited skills and minds doesn't mean to make fun out of them, we have to respect them and know how they are extremely good people.I rated this movie 8 out of 10 not because it is bad, but because I believe that they should have done better filming and more scenes that can make more fun..
I thought it was good idea for Paul Rudd and Steve Carell to team up because they are a funny pair and their chemistry proves it.
This movie has some funny jokes but it has a heart and you feel for the main characters.Jay Roach's film is about a rising executive who realizes that the only way to get a promotion at his job is to find the biggest buffoon out there and invite him to his boss's dinner so he could win the promotion.This film has a talented cast led by the excellent Paul Rudd and Steve Carell.
The supporting cast is great with such likes as Bruce Greenwood, Lucy Punch, Jeff Dunham, and of course the scene-stealing Zach Galifinakis.Overall, this is a pretty funny movie that has some solid jokes.
dumb guy, classic humorous dynamic, in this movie doesn't work, because the idiot is too annoying and unlikable so when the normal guy don't kill him it just looks forced.for the other hand, there's a couple of good characters.
and i can assure you all that i really wanted to like this, i wanted to spend a good afternoon with a funny movie, but is just impossible to laugh at this painful experience, i have to ask for forgiveness of my brother, whom i invited.
Steve Carell is great in all his movies, but he owned this film!.
I was hopeful that a new Steve Carell movie was out and when I started to watch this thing I just kept getting more and more angry and frustrated with the characters.
Dinner for Schmucks, a movie starring Paul Rudd and Steve Carell, is about a loser business guy that supposed to take a dumb ass to lunch and make fun of him.
When Paul Rudd hits this dumb ass, he decides that Steve Carell is the dumb ass he wants to take to this stupid dinner for idiots.
If you want to spend two hours of your life trying to figure out why people think this movie is funny, good luck because the answer is simple.
Paul Rudd is among the funniest out there in terms of deadpan and everyday man humor, while Steve Carell is easily one of the brightest comedy talents in Hollywood.
Instead, Dinner for Schmucks is about an aspiring rising executive (Tim, played by Paul Rudd) and his complications after accidentally meeting the idiotic but unselfish and sweet IRS employee (Barry, played by Steve Carell).
The script was easily the weakest part of the movie, because the material presented just wasn't good at all.Steve Carell and Paul Rudd are among my favorite actors in Hollywood.
I am totally recommending this film to my parents and other people who i know that love comedy movies..
Tim (Paul Rudd) is a budding executive who happens to be at the right place at the right time during one of his company meetings that has the ever so hard to please boss Lance Fender (Bruce Greenwood) actually liking his pitch so much that he asks him to attend a dinner where they are to find the most eccentric and crazy person (ok a loser if you will) that they can as to which himself along with the major bigwigs of the firm can laugh at them only they have to be so much of a loser that they do not really catch on that they are being roasted not toasted.
Tim (Paul Rudd) needs to bring an idiot to his boss' dinner of laughing at idiots and Barry fits the bill.
I highly recommend this movie, whether you need a good, hard laugh, or if you're just into the comedy scene.
Thank goodness I didn't go to the theater to see it, because I wouldn't have been able to throw things at the screen like I did at my T.V.Anyway, the movie is essentially about a crazy guy who follows the hero around accidentally ruining his professional life and his love life through a series of ridiculous coincidences.As for the actors, Paul Rudd is OK, but all he has to do is act exasperated.
I vowed that this would be the very last Steve Carell movie I would watch if there was nothing funny in here.
I did also say that, perhaps, the only funny thing in here would be the title.And, after about a half hour into the movie when Carell showed up and acted the way he did in his character (as the idiot), I knew I could not watch the rest of the way.
I went into this movie thinking it would be a bizarre farce, but it turned out to be so much more.While I laughed often during this film, I was shocked by the subtle empathy Steve Carell was able to bring to his character.
And there're nights for movies like Dinners for Schmucks.
Dinner for schmucks is not the clever but nasty French version, it is an American comedy with reasonable comedy value without the really mean character of the original film.
Steve Carell is hilarious as a dimwitted simpleton, and Paul Rudd plays his character well.
maybe Rudd's role seemed a bit too dumb to be following Carrells advices.Basically, I like watching a movie where the actors seem to be having fun and it was obvious that everyone, especially Carell, was having fun in this one.
Steve Carell and Paul Rudd are very funny actors with some very good work done in both of their careers.
And it does not do Steve Carell, Paul Rudd or the original film any justice..
It was okay for Barry's situation, like it was understandable and at a good amount, but for Paul Rudd's character, it was too much for me.
The thought of inviting people to dinner just so you can have a few laughs and make fun of them is extremely cruel, and you may think that that is what the movie is fully about.