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One Night At McCool's film review
ONE NIGHT AT MCCOOL'S
Running time: 93 mins
Starring: Liv Tyler, Matt Dillon, John Goodman, Paul Reiser, Michael Douglas
Man's utter ineptitude in the face of female beauty is the premise for this snappy and amusing comedy from Norwegian director Harold Zwart, another European commercials director now plying his trade in Hollywood. It's the story of what happens when three guys (Matt Dillon, John Goodman and Paul Reiser), who couldn't be less similar if they tried, become babbling idiots with no control over their mental functions when they encounter the femme fatale of their dreams (Liv Tyler). While the film's portrayal of Tyler as a somewhat witless but conniving sex bomb might raise a few pc eyebrows, its genuinely self-mocking tone and consistent gag rate make this above average comedy fare.
The story is told in flashback by Randy (Matt Dillon), a down on his luck unemployed barman (the title McCool's refers to the bar he works in), to Burmeister (Michael Douglas), a mysterious stranger with a penchant for bingo. Randy's life of pouring drinks was flowing along nicely until he met Jewel Valentine (Tyler), a stunning brunette straight out of a classic film noir, but clearly a woman whose choice in underwear screams trouble. Randy can't believe his luck as Jewel drags him into bed, but he soon discovers she's not all she's cracked up to be when a crime ensues and a police investigation, led by Detective Dehling (John Goodman) starts to play havoc with their lives. It turns out that Jewel has only one mission in mind: to live in a nice house with all mod cons and she is prepared to go to any lengths to fulfil her dream.
Soon she also has the widower detective wrapped around her finger, and when a frantic Randy turns to his lawyer cousin Carl (Paul Reiser) for advice, he too becomes instantly smitten by the earthy charms of Jewel. The three men become increasingly desperate to have her all to themselves, and will go to any length to obtain her, whether it means dressing up in ridiculous costumes or getting Jewel her own dvd player.
The movie zips along thanks to the fact that Goodman and Reiser's characters also share in the flashback: the guilt-ridden detective recounts his sins to his priest, while the anally retentive lawyer explains all to his therapist. However, the key performance here is by Tyler, who succeeds in using the charms of the female body to mask a cunning and manipulative character. The director isn't afraid to exploit Tyler's perfect body and a scene in which Goodman nearly has a seizure while watching her get into a lather washing her car is one of the film's many highpoints.
One Night at McCool's sets out to deliver fun with a capital F and largely succeeds. The pace does drag slightly in the first half of the film, but it has one thing in its favour which few contemporary comedies are clever enough to have: an ending which is perfect in the way that it wraps up the story and one which also delivers the film's biggest laugh, an unexpected and hilarious set-piece that is a classic comedy twist. It leaves the audience laughing all the way out to the foyer, and how many comedies can claim such a feat?
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