If you reckon that a good comedy should feature the repeated use of the word “vagina,” fun times lie ahead in Hall Pass.
Rick (Owen Wilson) and Maggie (Jenna Fischer) are a typical Rhode Island couple approaching mid-life, spending more time on their kids than with each other and longing for the days when they were young, attractive and filled with energy. Their friends Fred (Jason Sudeikis) and Grace (Christina Applegate) are in a similar situation. After several embarrassing revelations cast doubt over their marriages, Maggie and Grace decide to give Rick and Fred hall passes—seven days off from marriage—which free them up to do anything (and anyone) they want.
“Comedy” is perhaps not the best classification for this because it really carves out a genre all of its own. Where comedies make you laugh, horror frightens and thrillers keep you on edge, Hall Pass makes you cringe. There are moments in it that will leave you hanging your head, filled with a mixture of disgust and pity. A few laughs come and go, but too many gags are simply crude and inappropriate without a punchline in sight. A bit is lost in translation as well, unless you understand subtle American cultural nuances like the bar and grill choices of different ethnic groups.
Never mind the fact that Hall Pass manages to simultaneously insult both men and women, it’s just boring. A buddy flick about two guys back on the market opens up many possibilities, but what the Farrellys have made feels more like a dull pastiche about the tragedies of lost youth. Put this in the hands of someone not intent on squeezing in toilet humor at every turn, and the concept might evoke squeals of delight at Cannes.
There is occassional warmth, however. The cast is made up of people we like (let’s hope Owen Wilson gets a decent “older man” role soon) and there are one or two sound moments of reflection. But, shrouded in a haze of vulgarity, it feels less like warmth in the heart and more like the warmth which envelops you in a crowded swimming pool.