Or at least more unconventional. In playing Alan in "The Hangover" and its sequel, Galifianakis takes on a socially awkward man-child who is desperate to make friends but possesses no concept of how normal humans of his age interact -- or express their frustration.
That leads to some hilarious outbursts, as he yells out phrases more often heard from old women than men in their 30's facing life-threatening situations in Thailand. As Galifianakis told ComingSoon. Alan doesn't curse. I don't like cursing in movies," he said.
You try to find substitutions for cursing. Anyone can say 'Oh, f--k,' but 'Oh my word! For Alan to say it, who only hangs out with adults because he lives in his parents' house and doesn't have any friends, it's kind of a -- not that it's that thought out -- something that is just what he knows. Galifianakis also spoke about the child actor who plays young Alan in a flashback sequence -- and how he was happy that the kid wouldn't be allowed to see the movie, as it's too raunchy for children.
As much as he's hoping for a big box office take for the film, it's yet another person he's glad won't be seeing the movie. The other? His own mother, whom he won't allow to take in her own son's work.
Now of course, hers is an outsize, performative sincerity, but in the face of the movie's sustained archness, she provides us with someone to root for during the quiet, surprisingly emotional moments.
And so we arrive at the true secret of Between Two Ferns: The Movie 's singular success — the thing it knows that other sketch-into-movies with the notable exception of MacGruber did not.
The sheer onslaught of stupid, silly, dumb, witless jokes serves twin purposes: It keeps us watching, and laughing, instead of checking our phones; and it ensures that BTF:TM rewards repeat viewings. Now: Critics who write about comedies are sorely tempted to give away some of their favorite jokes. It's understandable, inasmuch as it provides readers with a palpable sense of the shape and tone and quality of the humor under review. But I'm both a critic and a comedy nerd, and when it comes to reviewing comedies, the latter aspect prevails; I bend over backward to avoid spoiling jokes, which are best experienced fresh.
But given the sheer number of good, solid, very dumb jokes in Between Two Ferns: The Movie, I feel confident that I can list, with a certain amount of deliberate obfuscation, those jokes so good they managed to elicit in me a bark-laugh, upon repeated viewings, every single time:. One last thing: The closing credits include outtakes from the film's celebrity interviews, including several instances of Galifianakis breaking into laughter — and breaking character — over the cruelty of the question he just posed.
It's fascinating, and very funny, but it completely punctures the entire conceit. Be warned. Search Query Show Search. Delaware News. About Us. Find Us. Radio Schedule. Subscribe To E-News. Ways to Donate. Show Search Search Query. Play Live Radio. Next Up:. Available On Air Stations. On Air. NPR Headlines. By Glen Weldon. Twitter LinkedIn Email. It commits to the bit s And then builds them out If the movie simply contented itself with delivering those celebrity interviews — if it offered us nothing but A-listers like Brie Larson and Tiffany Haddish looking pained and discomfited under the barrage of Galifianakis goofery — it would seem like little more than a supercut of the Web series.
It casts the right people And uses them well The core team that Galifianakis takes with him on the road — earnest assistant Carol Lapkus , surly camera operator Cam Gaul and warmly empathetic Boom Boom Linayao are given sufficient screen time to play off Galifianakis' not-quite-one-note vain witlessness. Lauren Lapkus I know I already mentioned Lapkus above, but her contribution here deserves a special shout-out. Not for nothing? Her opening bit with the iMac is such a dumb, good joke.
Brevity 82 minutes! Just enough! Not too much! Joke density And so we arrive at the true secret of Between Two Ferns: The Movie 's singular success — the thing it knows that other sketch-into-movies with the notable exception of MacGruber did not. Joke density. Gag-per-minute frequency. But given the sheer number of good, solid, very dumb jokes in Between Two Ferns: The Movie, I feel confident that I can list, with a certain amount of deliberate obfuscation, those jokes so good they managed to elicit in me a bark-laugh, upon repeated viewings, every single time: The Monopoly joke Lapkus' delivery of "Too many A's!
Copyright NPR. Glen Weldon.
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