Review of The Night Before (2015) by Jesse O — 02 Mar 2016

I almost hate to start off the review this way, but there's a reason why I like these films, with Rogen, Franco, Jonah, etc, as opposed to the Sandler films. Stylistically speaking, they do share some similarities.

There's a certain brand of raunchiness, a little tamer in Sandler's case since a lot of his films are rated PG-13, and it almost always ends up featuring some sort of male bonding storyline. There's no problem in and of itself, but the way Sandler and his buddies handle it make them seem like the biggest assholes in the world.

They're sexist, racist and homophobic, all with a disregard for actual storytelling or character development. They 'try' to make for being, essentially, horrible human beings by saying 'I'm sowwy'.

Which sort of makes everything even worse, the idea that they can get away with saying absolutely anything and everything by just apologizing. Contrast that to these films, with the Apatow crew, which do feature a lot of raunchy and gross-out jokes, but at least the characters have personalities and are properly developed.

I'm not saying this film is the best example of this, because it's not. But at the very least, Ethan, Isaac and Chris all have their personalities and issues to go through. Ethan has seen his friends pass him by, finding success in their current professions where as he's been stuck in the same endless cycle of shitty jobs.

Isaac's child is about to give birth and he's, obviously, having some doubts about whether or not he'd be a good father. Chris has finally found success in football, at a time when most people his age (34) would be past their peak, by taking steroids.

So, while this may not be up there with Superbad or This is the End, there was still a concerted effort at least creating a film with relatively interesting characters They may not be complex or truly though-provoking, but at least they offer something more than just set up guys for the next joke.

I'll just say that Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie are pretty much great together. There's an undeniable chemistry between the three. And that's why these films usually work, because these three guys are likely friends in real life, so that chemistry easily translates to an on-screen setting.

Plus, and this is very important, it seems like they had a blast making this movie and that adds a lot to it. I will say that the movie is certainly fun and enjoyable, it does offer some from some inconsistencies.

There are plenty of funny moments in the film, like Isaac's drug trip that, literally, lasts for the entirety of the movie, for one, is great stuff. Particularly the scene at the church. Michael Shannon has some really memorable scenes as well.

And, if you know me, then you know how much I love Michael Shannon. So seeing him here was, honestly, a real pleasant surprise. Like I said, the film could be more consistently funny, but I still enjoyed it.

I liked the character progression. Again, not what I would call complex, but at least these characters have personalities and it makes the movie more than just a series of skits, there's a plot thread holding it all together, so I appreciated that.

This is just a good little comedy. It's not as good as Spy, of course, but it's still a real enjoyable movie to watch thanks to a great cast and some good writing. Wish it was more consistent, but it was not to be.

This is a solid rental for sure.