Review by Luke Gorham: Todd Phillips, welcome back. After “Road Trip” and “Old School,” Phillips looked poised to be the king of frat boy comedies. While neither of those films were destined to be lasting works, the latter especially showcases a director willing to give the reigns to his leads, recognizing the bravura comedic talents of the likes of Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell before either hit it truly big. Plus we were able to catch a glimpse (emphasis on glimpse) of a director willing to imbue even the basest comedies with a twinge of artistic merit. He was never going to be a P.T. Anderson. So what. Efforts like his are admirable and even refreshing in a market where good comedies are a dime a baker’s dozen.And then he became one of the bakers. With “Starsky and Hutch” and “School for Scoundrels,” Phillips fell to the bottom of the barrel of comedy directors. While the scripts of both films were largely to blame, Phillips wasted the efforts of such talented comedic actors as Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller and Billy Bob Thornton (yes, I purposely omitted talentless Jon Heder) in what were formulaic, drab comedies masterminded by studio heads rather than artists, visionaries, or, hell, even retired frat guys.
It is with that in mind that I must sing the praises of Phillips once more for his newest effort “The Hangover” (the title alone hinting at a return to his wheelhouse). The story concerns Groom-to-be Doug (Justin Bartha), his dim-witted future brother-in-law Alan (Zack Galifianakis), his embittered and cynical best friend Phil (Bradley Cooper), and the token straight-man and doctor friend Stu (Ed Helms) as they head to Vegas for an unforgettable bachelor party. However, what begins as a night of joviality turns into a morning of regret when the three party pals find that they have “lost Doug.” From here, the film becomes a mash-up of one-liners (most of which hit), random gags and a fun bit of who-dunnit-where-is-he sleuthing.
“The Hangover” is built almost solely on random and awkward moments, from Alan’s buzz-killing, drink-delaying speech on his newly-filled “wolf pack” of friends to Mike Tyson’s hotel suite appearance and rendition of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.” It's particularly impressive that, this being the case, the film doesn’t come off as a series of interrelated sketches, but rather as a coherent and somehow believable consequence of a night of hard-drinking (and roofies). And while some will complain about this absurdity, such as the clue-solving angle the film takes, they will be missing the point. Yes, these guys seem ridiculous; their decisions and actions ludicrous; their mishaps and entanglements bizarre. And yet, this is exactly who these guys are. We aren’t asked to believe that the film is trying to be a hybrid of summer-comedy and solve-the-puzzle mystery, but simply that what transpires is exactly what would happen if these three characters were thrown into that situation. All of the characters are so believable as ridiculous, ludicrous and bizarre people that any other outcome seems even more unlikely.
This is due almost solely to the film’s leads. Phillips once again, as he did with Vaughn and Ferrell, trusted his actors and allowed them to take characters that may seem to be caricatures and imbue them with a depth that has no business in a film about a night of partying. Even more impressive is what the three relatively obscure leads were able to accomplish. Bradley Cooper has been a bit player in major comedies for a few years, but had yet to be given a role that allowed him to display his full range of talent. Here he is able to navigate the emotional spectrum of a world-weary man, only minimally but impressively without any histrionics or gimmickry. Ed Helms is best known for his hilarious portrayal of a company brown-noser on “The Office,” and here is well-cast as the straight guy who learns to live a little and grows a pair along the way. But the sure-to-be audience favorite, and the biggest strength of “The Hangover,” is Zach Galifianakis, who had been almost exclusively a stand-up comedian for the last ten years, aside from cameos in films like “Into the Wild.” In “The Hangover” he gets to (successfully) chew the scenery as the bumbling idiot of the group, allotted more freedom of character and unpredictability than the others, but while infusing his Alan with an innocence and loneliness that makes him as lovable as he is hilariously offbeat. The characters are all relatable, gut-bustingly funny and decent, while remaining true to Phillips’ frat boy archetypes and audience.
Phillips also evidences some growth as a filmmaker; the opening credits sequence of the Las Vegas skyline is itself a very simple, but tone-setting bit of flair. Likewise, his decision to forego showing any bit of the party night in question, but rather experience it as the characters do is an exceptional decision that surely generates more humor than actually seeing the events would have. “The Hangover isn’t top-shelf cinema, but it succeeds in delivering constant laughs without the comedy genre’s too-common eye-rolling. So, is Phillips growing and maturing as a filmmaker? I don’t know. Maybe. But what is certain is that he needs to stick to the slightly elevated frat boy humor is excelled with, and stray away from the big movie stars and studios, trusting his instincts and actors to create bold, crass and riotous characters. Returning to this formula worked for “The Hangover.” The audience has nearly as much fun as the boys in the movie – and without the unfortunate morning after. (★★★)
LAST WORD: Random, absurd and hilarious, “The Hangover” is carried on the shoulders of Cooper, Helms and Galifianakis, three fantastic comedic talents who should be stars already, and will be now.
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