Cast: Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Directed by: Miguel Arteta
Written by: Phil Johnston
Genre: Comedy

Small town insurance agent Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) is chosen by his boss to represent his company at the ASMI convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Tim, who has never left his small Wisconsin town, bites at the chance to prove himself a great and capable employee. But the “big city” might be too much for Tim as he quickly finds himself enveloped by alcohol, sex, drugs, and back-handed dealings. Lucky for him, he might just get through it with the help of his three new insurance agent friends, (John C. Reilly, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and Anne Heche).

Miguel Arteta (Youth in Revolt) helms this off-kilter comedy about one man’s journey into the real world. This is a rare breed of story that deals with the loss of innocence and shedding of naivety in its main character, which uses inexperience for comedic brilliance. It’s cut from the same cloth as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and replicates what makes that film a success: treating its main character’s unseasoned upbringing with dignity and respect. Arteta, screenwriter Phil Johnston, and Ed Helms are all aware that it is necessary to portray Tim Lippe in a serious fashion so that when he ultimately ends up making poor choices, (like befriending a prostitute, smoking meth, and bribing his way into an award), we’ve already been won over by his unbridled enthusiasm and optimism.

What works so well about this film is its personality. For one thing, it’s perfectly cast. Each of the actors fall so easily into their roles, and while that is no doubt a testament to the talent of each star, it mostly can be contributed to Phil Johnston’s immaculately written characters. The entire appeal of this film rests on the likeability of the core characters and their chemistry. Johnston takes the high road with the story opting to tell a story of four people befriending one another rather than dwelling on petty rivalries, (see John C. Reilly’s The Promotion as a comparison). The result is invigorating, optimistic, and ultimately inspiring. And though a sequel would be one of the most unnecessary ideas ever, these are characters that you’ll walk away wishing you could see more of.

The pairing of Miguel Arteta’s off-kilter storytelling abilities and the producing team of Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor couldn’t be more affluent. Together their sensibilities create a wonderfully realistic world filled with extraordinary circumstances for the full-flavored characters to thrive. There is a fine line between finding the humor in a certain aspect of culture, (i.e. the Midwest), without making fun of it. Arteta’s wry sense of humor and Payne and Taylor’s authenticity capture the hilariousness to a tee.

Cedar Rapids has an agreeable resonance. It’s easy to equate spending time with this film to meeting new friends and experiencing the feeling of excitement to see them again sometime in the future. That’s truly a testament to well written and well played characters.

What works so well about this film is its personality. For one thing, it’s perfectly cast. Each of the actors fall so easily into their roles, and while that is no doubt a testament to the talent of each star, it mostly can be contributed to Phil Johnston’s immaculately written characters. The entire appeal of this film rests on the likeability of the core characters and their chemistry. Johnston takes the high road with the story opting to tell a story of four people befriending one another rather than dwelling on petty rivalries, (see John C. Reilly’s The Promotion as a comparison). The result is invigorating, optimistic, and ultimately inspiring. And though a sequel would be one of the most unnecessary ideas ever, these are characters that you’ll walk away wishing you could see more of.

The pairing of Miguel Arteta’s off-kilter storytelling abilities and the producing team of Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor couldn’t be more affluent. Together their sensibilities create a wonderfully realistic world filled with extraordinary circumstances for the full-flavored characters to thrive. There is a fine line between finding the humor in a certain aspect of culture, (i.e. the Midwest), without making fun of it. Arteta’s wry sense of humor and Payne and Taylor’s authenticity capture the hilariousness to a tee.

USA. 87 minutes. Rated R.

Click Here to Read Blu-ray Review

• «Previous Post
• Next Post »

---