Review of The Great Buck Howard (2008) by Adinda A — 13 Oct 2010
John Malkovich is very hit and miss with me. At times I think he is brilliant, other times he overdoes it and he gets on my nerves. This was the perfect role for him.
Unsure of what he wants to do with his life, a law student decides to leave school and try something new. As he is glancing at want ads, he sees an entry for a personal assistant. It turns out to be for fading magician Buck Howard who turns out to be quite the handful.
Buck is arrogant and and dramatic, which is why I said this role was perfect for Malkovich. He can't possibly be too over-the-top for this character. Most of the time, he is completely oblivious that his career is pretty much over and despite being belligerant and difficult to work with, Buck Howard is oddly likable.
You can't help but root for Howard as he attempts to become a household name again. Not only for Buck's sake, but for his new assistant's sake as well. The movie does a great job of making you want them to succeed.
Colin Hanks does a solid job and his dad Tom has a great cameo as ... well ... his dad.
On the downside, the movie is pretty simple. They didn't re-invent the wheel here. It is a minor complaint and you barely notice it until the movie is over, but the movie just sort of ... happens.
10 Scale Rating: 6.5 ...
This review of The Great Buck Howard (2008) was written by Adinda A on 13 Oct 2010.
The Great Buck Howard has generally received positive reviews.
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