Review of Cedar Rapids (2011) by Tibor B — 14 Mar 2012

Frank Capra meets Frat-pack in this mostly likeable Midwestern comedy. Ed Helms is the naive man-child who attends an important regional insurance convention following the death of his companys star salesman.

Here he learns to loosen up a little as he falls in with a motley crew of outsiders, but also has his naive dreams shattered as he learns the the prestigious award rewarded to his company was simply bought.

Arteta is a decent director of this sort of film, and although a little of Ed Helm goes a long way, there are entertaining turns by Reilly as a grade-A doofus, Anne Heche as an escapist, spunky vixen and Whitlock Jr.

as an arrow straight chap, who can turn on the gangsta when needed. Sigourney Weaver also pops up, oddly, as a creepy motherly lover. It's just one of those low-key films that isn't quite as funny as you expect it to be, with a very unadventurous, sappy ending.

.. but you just about forgive it for it's simple, sweet heart.