I walked into Why Him? asking myself,”Why me?” I like Bryan Cranston and James Franco as much as the next guy, and I’m always looking for a good dose of Christmas counterprogramming to balance out the saccharinity of the season. But the prospect of nearly two hours of scatological bro-humor with a weak premise that functions something like Father of the Bride or Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner meets a less literate “Silicon Valley” inspired precipitously low expectations. So imagine my surprise when I left the theater voicing a resounding, “Why not?”
True, the film’s tech industry satire is nowhere near as prescient as what Mike Judge has been putting out these days — but realistically, what is? This is a film that favors farce over facsimile, with Franco’s lovable-loser persona often straining credulity as an utterly unrestrained id playing off Cranston’s thoroughly repressed superego. This setup predates cinema significantly, tracing its roots back to vaudeville and beyond, so don’t expect a work of groundbreaking originality here. Where Why Him? succeeds is in the exemplary performances from its two leads, the strong supporting turns and a script that’s funnier than it has any right to be.
Cranston plays his role, the beleaguered owner of a printing company, straight for the most part, imbuing his interactions with Franco’s tech sector millionaire with pathos and relatability as they clash over the latter’s marital intentions toward the former’s daughter. Zoey Deutch functions as the object of this conflict (and not much else), but she makes the most of an underwritten ingenue role with a bit of help from Megan Mullally. It’s a strong ensemble squeezing every last drop of comedy out of a trite setup, and the results are passably diverting if not overwhelmingly noteworthy.
Writer-director John Hamburg is thankfully veering closer to his work on Zoolander and Meet the Parents than Zoolander 2 or Little Fockers, turning in a comedy that makes up for its distinct lack of novelty with some effective sight gags as well as pacing that masks the jokes which don’t work by following them up with ones that do. While the Marx Brothers perfected that particular technique, Him bears broader influences that also do it justice — including the best Pink Panther reference I’ve seen in contemporary cinema. It’s an uneven film in no uncertain terms, but I can safely say it definitely has its moments.
There are some genuinely chuckle-worthy aspects of Why Him?, although its appeal will be limited by demographic demarcations and your respective acceptance of Franco’s comedic persona, which more or less drives the film. It’s certainly not awards bait, but that’s a quality I genuinely appreciate around this time of year. Yes, better films have been made, but I can’t think of a funnier one playing in theaters currently. If you’ve had enough of your family and want to pass a couple of hours in the company of some characters who are only fictitiously terrible, Why Him? might be the ticket. Rated R for strong language and sexual material throughout .
Now Playing at Carmike 10, Carolina Cinemark, Regal Biltmore Grande, UA Beaucatcher, Epic of Hendersonville.
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