THE HANGOVER
US, 2009, 100 minutes, Colour.
Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zac Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor.
Directed by Todd Phillips.
The title probably indicates whether you want to see this film or not. It promises to deal with drinking, the after-effects – and not everyone finds jokes about drunkenness funny. This is compounded by the fact that the hangover follows a raucous, very raucous, bachelor party in Las Vegas.
The Hangover presents a few challenges to the reviewer. On the one hand, the four central characters indulge in the American tradition of the bachelor party and its letting down of all guards and they show an alarming immaturity in their behaviour with the screenplay wanting to let them off as much as possible. Many crass sequences and, especially, language.
On the other hand, it is often funnier than one might expect. In fact, despite their crassness, the four men are more sympathetic than usual (and we don't see many details of their wild behaviour until a series of photos during the final credits). And, in fact, the crassness is not as crass as it usually is in this kind of film (like the 1980s Bachelor Party or Todd Phillips' buddy film, Old School). One could say that there is a pleasanter context for the crassness which lightens it and highlights the humour rather than the vulgarity.
The plot has some mad twists and turns, including a tiger in the bathroom (with the tiger belonging to Mike Tyson who makes a cameo appearance), a baby in the refrigerator and a naked Chinese gangster in the boot of a car.
Justin Bartha is the bridegroom who spends a lot of the film missing. His searching buddies include Bradley Cooper as the leader of the troop, Ed Helms as a straight-laced dentist with a harridan of a girlfriend who controls him and is always ringing up – and who has an extraordinary suppressed sub-conscious which breaks out at a wedding chapel with Heather Graham – and stand-up comedian Zach Galifianakis, who initially seems so crass but whose dumbness leads to quite some humour and even likeableness.
Not a must see but, for those who enjoy some broad humour, better than might have been expected. The Hangover 2 is in preparation!
1.The impact of the raucous comedy? American style?
2.The background of the bachelor party, men behaving badly, drink, sex, the letting down of inhibitions, messing up, immaturity and behaving like boys?
3.The impact of the humour, on drinks, on drugs, on sex, on partying, gangsters, weddings, tigers and babies?
4.The characters crass but more sympathetic, getting more likeable, the context for the humour?
5.The background of the LA wealthy family, the Las Vegas atmosphere, the casinos, the suites, the wedding chapel, police precincts, school, the desert? The musical score?
6.The set-up: Doug, engaged to Tracy, the preparations for the marriage, imminent, the bachelor party, Sid giving Doug the car, picking up his friends? The phone call from Phil that Doug was missing? Tracy and her panic?
7.The flashbacks, the introduction to Phil, the teacher, with the kids, taking the money? Stu and his girlfriend, her tough attitudes towards him, demanding, saying he was a doctor but that he was actually a dentist? Alan, the brother of Tracy, Sid as his father? Slow, trying the suits, jockstrap, banned from being near schools, suspicious, his comments, dumb and naïve?
8.On the road to Las Vegas, speed, irresponsibility, jokes? The suite, paying the extra money? Stu and his phone calls? Al and his old clothes? His studying the books on gambling? Going to the roof, the toast?
9.Moving immediately to the aftermath, the wreckage in the room, no Doug, no memories (and Alan’s later explanation of slipping what he thought was Ecstasy into the drinks but really was Rufalin? The search, looking for evidence, retracing their steps, finding the tiger in the bathroom and the jokes about the tiger, the baby in the refrigerator? Their being given the police car? Using it? Going to the hospital, paying the doctor, his rough answers to them? The information about the casinos, winning eighty thousand dollars? The wedding chapel, the discussions with the manager and his assistant? Tracking down Jade? Her baby? The Chinese in the boot, the gangsters? The confrontations and escape? The arrest, talking with the police, agreeing to go to the classes, their being hit by the stun gun – and Alan hit by the boy that he had been rude to earlier? The naked Chinese? Later his turning up with his gangsters? The money in the purse? Working out where Doug was, going to the roof? The wrong Doug in exchange for the money? Going to the casino, getting more money, going to the roof?
10.Phil and his control, Stu and his letting his hair down, marrying Jade? The souvenirs of the chapel? Alan and his getting more money?
11.The phone calls to Tracy, changing the tuxedos on the way home, the return, the wedding, and Doug promising to be faithful?
12.The final credits, their looking at the photos, the glimpses of the bachelor party night? The appeal of the film – with the broad vulgar humour?
