Commune sense

With the exception of Role Models, an instant hit, director David Wain has made great comedies that take a little while to settle in. At least that’s how his films hit me.

I liked Wet Hot American Summer just fine when I first saw it, and gave it a happy, if not glowing, review. With repeated viewings, it now resides in my personal five favorite comedies of all time. It’s a classic.

As for The Ten, I ripped into that one when it first came out. In preparing for this review, I watched it again—and laughed hard. So, it took about five years for that one to win me over.

Role Models is the only one of Wain’s past films I loved instantly. It was probably because of Seann William Scott’s Minotaur suit.

I don’t know what it is … it’s like Wain movies come in a slow, time-release capsule, and I just start laughing more and more as the years pass and they continue to digest. I imagine I will have a stroke from laughing when I watch The Ten five years from now.

Now comes Wanderlust, with the immortally funny Paul Rudd, who has thankfully played a major role in all of Wain’s films. Rudd plays George, a politely frustrated Wall Street worker living in a microscopic Manhattan apartment with his bad documentarian wife, Linda (a funny Jennifer Aniston, Rudd’s costar in The Object of My Affection and Friends).

When George loses his job and Linda’s penguin cancer documentary is passed over by HBO, they hightail it out of the city to Atlanta, where George’s brother Rick (the always fabulous Ken Marino, who co-wrote the film with Wain) has promised George a job.

After a very funny driving montage, the two wind up spending the night in Elysium, a bed and breakfast/commune. After a fun night of smoking pot and skinny-dipping, the couple head to Rick’s house, but not for long. Rick’s total bastard behavior drives them out of the house fast, and they retreat to Elysium to take a crack at dropping out of society.

The great gag here is that George is initially the one more open to the Elysium ideal, but that changes as the film progresses. Rudd gets to show that awesome “Evil Rudd” side when George gets frustrated.

Rudd seems like a nice guy, so it’s hilarious whenever he gets nasty and dirty, and this screenplay allows for plenty of this. Rudd’s general disdain for Elysium’s leader, Seth (Justin Theroux), is comic gold. As for Rudd’s moment in a mirror practicing dirty talk for possible sexy time with commune resident Eva (Malin Akerman), it’s the best mirror acting since Travis Bickle picked a fight with himself in Taxi Driver. And it only gets funnier when George actually attempts dirty talk with Eva in his presence.

While the whole premise isn’t altogether original and is a little tired in spots, it does give Wain a platform to gather a great ensemble, Wet Hot style. The cast features many members of The State, the legendary comedy troupe that Wain was a big part of. Best of all are a couple of scenes featuring The State offshoot, Stella—Wain’s other troupe with Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter—as members of a goofy news show. I would like a whole movie of Stella as news guys, please.

Theroux, who played a memorable Jesus in The Ten and has written some big screenplays (Tropic Thunder, Iron Man 2, Rock of Ages), gets a chance to show his comedic acting ability. His Seth is a classic comedic creep. And it’s always good to have Alan Alda in your cast, so huge props for scoring Hawkeye.

The main reason to see Wanderlust is the mighty Rudd, who doesn’t disappoint. And, if my usual pattern for Wain films plays out, I imagine Wanderlust will make my nose bleed from laughter five years from now.