Running time: 110 minutes
Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Jessica Biel, Steve Buscemi, Dan Akroyd
Rating 2 out of 10
"I'm just in some gay crazy nightmare," cries Adam Sandler's character Chuck Levine, in a moment of despair. He sure got that right. Quite why any of the cast and crew would become involved in this offensive, puerile rubbish is a mystery. We may live in overly political correct times, but the level of crude, homophobic humour in I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry would make the staunchest Christian Right fundamentalist cringe. Another mystery is why an industry so heavily populated with gays would produce such a denigrating film.
From its spurious premise of two straight New York fireman getting married in order that one can claim domestic partnership benefits, everything in INPYCAL is as implausible as it is stupid. By the end I was inclined to do two things: firstly check the calendar to see if I hadn't somehow been transported back to a less enlightened era when such material was deemed acceptable, and secondly have a shower to wash the stench of this stinking bile away.
Adam Sandler's career has been founded on playing silly characters in dumb movies, a tradition he continues here with his portrayal of the wisecracking womanizer Chuck. With a bevy of Asian nymphets at his beck and call, Chuck is living the bachelor dream. In stark contrast his colleague Larry Valentine (Kevin James) is having a tougher time. Recently widowed, he is struggling financially to bring up his two young kids. Prompted by an article in the paper, Larry calls in the favor promised by Chuck, whose life he'd once saved in a fire, asking him to become his legal domestic partner, thus entitling him to much needed additional benefits.
When the authorities check into the validity of the relationship, Chuck and Larry enlist the aid of the beautiful lawyer Alex (Jessica Biel), who Chuck falls in love with, further complicating things. The two men set about trying to convince everyone they are indeed a legitimate gay couple. "We're big time fruits," offers an unconvincing Larry by way of an example of the nuanced wit the film deals in. In addition Larry's effeminate son Eric (Cole Morgen) provides a well-tapped vein along with the outing of colossal brooding fireman, Duncan (Ving Rhames). The slow-motion shots of the horror-struck faces of fellow firefighters when they drop the soap in the shower with Chuck and Larry looking on takes adolescent humour to new lows.
At one point fire chief Captain Tucker (Dan Aykroyd) makes a trite speech about tolerance and equality. Its inclusion is designed to undermine the homophobic bigotry that precedes it and offer the film moral redemption, but instead its true intent is simply to provide an excuse to reel out every bad taste, derogatory, stereotypical gay cliché in the book.
Kevin Murphy
From its spurious premise of two straight New York fireman getting married in order that one can claim domestic partnership benefits, everything in INPYCAL is as implausible as it is stupid. By the end I was inclined to do two things: firstly check the calendar to see if I hadn't somehow been transported back to a less enlightened era when such material was deemed acceptable, and secondly have a shower to wash the stench of this stinking bile away.
Adam Sandler's career has been founded on playing silly characters in dumb movies, a tradition he continues here with his portrayal of the wisecracking womanizer Chuck. With a bevy of Asian nymphets at his beck and call, Chuck is living the bachelor dream. In stark contrast his colleague Larry Valentine (Kevin James) is having a tougher time. Recently widowed, he is struggling financially to bring up his two young kids. Prompted by an article in the paper, Larry calls in the favor promised by Chuck, whose life he'd once saved in a fire, asking him to become his legal domestic partner, thus entitling him to much needed additional benefits.
When the authorities check into the validity of the relationship, Chuck and Larry enlist the aid of the beautiful lawyer Alex (Jessica Biel), who Chuck falls in love with, further complicating things. The two men set about trying to convince everyone they are indeed a legitimate gay couple. "We're big time fruits," offers an unconvincing Larry by way of an example of the nuanced wit the film deals in. In addition Larry's effeminate son Eric (Cole Morgen) provides a well-tapped vein along with the outing of colossal brooding fireman, Duncan (Ving Rhames). The slow-motion shots of the horror-struck faces of fellow firefighters when they drop the soap in the shower with Chuck and Larry looking on takes adolescent humour to new lows.
At one point fire chief Captain Tucker (Dan Aykroyd) makes a trite speech about tolerance and equality. Its inclusion is designed to undermine the homophobic bigotry that precedes it and offer the film moral redemption, but instead its true intent is simply to provide an excuse to reel out every bad taste, derogatory, stereotypical gay cliché in the book.
Kevin Murphy
