Rudd, as a morally sound man led astray by expectations of wealth and power is delightful to watch. His character Tim is at heart a caring man driven to conniving behavior only as a means to provide the best life for the woman he loves. He projects a very natural sense of naivete which makes his character seem all the more real and all the more lovable.
Carell’s Barry is humorous, but leans too cartoonish to actually be liked. Whereas Roach’s Meet the Parents characters all seem like plausible - if a bit exaggerated - extensions of real world personalities, Barry seems to be a character plucked right out of The Simpsons or Family Guy. Carell sports fake teeth for the role, adopts a slight lisp (probably a result of the oversized teeth rather than conscious decision making), and proclaims ridiculous things along the lines of his wife losing her clitoris in her purse. The question that is, in the beginning, the source of much of the film’s humor eventually becomes a distraction: is anyone REALLY that dumb?
And it’s this continuing stupidity and unrealistic gullibility that destroy Tim’s life, my sympathy for Barry, and my enjoyment of the film. For a good chunk of the film’s second act, I cringed from the horrendously catastrophic destruction caused by Barry. During one of the most important lunch meetings of Tim's life, Barry shows up despite vehemently being told not to. His mere presence wreaks havoc. Countries are insulted, priceless items lost, and cars destroyed - all within the confined space of a ritzy restaurant. Scenes like these showcase Roach's genius ability to manipulate his audience's emotions, but I think here he goes a bit too far, injecting unnatural amounts of embarrassment that actually overshadow any inherent humor in the situation.
Nevertheless, the supporting cast does a pretty good job at keeping the movie on track – Dinner's loaded with scene-stealing comedians, best of all the now hugely popular Zach Galifianakis as Barry’s foe. Jemaine Clement as the animalistic over-sexed artist, Nick Kroll as Tim’s colleague, Kristen Schaal as Tim’s assistant and Chris O’Dowd as a blind fencer all add immensely to the film’s quirky and at times gut-wrenching humor. Each are gems, and in the case of Kroll and Schaal, should have gotten much more screen time.
In the end, the film is a riot. Despite my own personal discomfort, I cannot completely discredit Dinner as it is indeed achingly hilarious. So, be prepared. The ride may be momentarily rough, but stick it out – it’s definitely worth it to see this great comedy through to its end.
