Review of Cedar Rapids (2011) by G. Brandon H — 05 Aug 2011

Cedar Rapids is a film revolving around a naïve and innocent insurance salesman from a small town who is sent to an insurance convention, a situation that shocks him to his core. A man who avoids all things that he considers dangerous or ridiculous and is so desperate for love, he looks for it anywhere he can find it. Arriving with innocence and leaving with a few scars and friends, the film does a nice job of presenting a good well rounded comedy. The acting was well suited for the film and everyone seemed to pitch in quite well. The script, though basic in structure did a good job providing a well balanced film and the direction was good as well, helping to create a good overall film.

The direction by Miguel Arteta (Youth in Revolt) was quite good. He put forth a good effort and helped to give the audience the best possible comedy by placing actors well suited for their roles. This seems to be a great ability of his because most of his films seem to have actors with the ability to prove themselves in their roles. This helps to solidify his name as a good comedy director which could translate into something more in the future. Even if he decides to continue with the genre of comedy, he has a true knack for it and it will certainly be fun to see if he can keep up his good work.

The script by Eric Johnston (film debut) was decent, but was not spectacular. The problem with the script was that it was so basic it seemed almost as if nothing happened. But then again on the other hand it had plenty of comedy and didn't try to be more than it was which was just a simple comedy so that made the film better. While the film remained simplistic in structure, the balance it had between overall story and comedy was a nice blend and the comedy had an array of categories, ranging from slapstick to crude. While it may not rank very high on the greatest comedy scripts of all time, it will certainly gain some notoriety and respect.

The acting of the film was fine and was fit for the film. Ed Helms (The Hangover) did a good job as the innocent small town salesman in surroundings that overwhelmed him. He played the role well and although it really didn't diversify himself from the genre of comedy, he was able to prove that he can be a leading man in the role. His ability to create the character was very good and he seemed fit for it. His counterpart in John C. Reilly (Cyrus) did a good job as the corrupting counterpart of the innocent man. A rude, crude, and vulgar character of which we have come to love about him, he seems to fit this and almost any role very well, establishing himself as one of the better actors of his day. But here it is nice to see him in his natural habitat as a comedian. Anne Heche (Spread) did a good job in her role as the one with the voice of reason. She seemed to fill her role in very well, something that all the others did as well. The remaining supporters did a good job as well including Isiah Whitlock Jr. (Gun Hill Road), Kurtwood Smith (Green Lantern: First Flight), Stephen Root (The Conspirator), and Alia Shawkat (The Runaways) who all fit well in their respective roles. The chemistry of the cast was very good and everyone seemed to pull the best performances out of each other.

The film Cedar Rapids was an entertaining look into the growth of a man-child into an adult. Though it is not one of the best every, it still presents a certain charm within itself so that the audience can get the most out of the film they saw. The acting was good and only helped to make the script better than it was. For the most part, the plot was simplistic but it was still better than most because it stayed within the boundaries that it had as a comedy. The direction helped to assure that the acting was where it should be and both complemented each other very well. Overall, it is one of the better comedies to come out in a while.