jmleger-830-566354 Review of Dinner for Schmucks

Dinner for Schmucks (2010)

A bad remake of an hilarious French movie.

[1/10 · 28 August 2010]

The French original was a scream, which is why they bought the rights. Instead of subtitling the original, they went for a remake à la sauce américaine. Just as in the case of The Vanishing, La Femme Nikita, Un Indien Dans la Ville, Le Grand Chemin and a dozen other films (at least), the remake is just plain awful. Steve Carell is reprising the late and much-regretted role played by Jacques Villeret. While the latter was believable as tax inspector with an interest in building structures out of toothpicks, Carell as a half-looney artistic taxidermist is way over the top. Bollywood made a version which was watchable, but the Hollywood version is a mess.