30 Minutes or Less
Dir: Ruben Fleischer
2011
**
I rather liked the idea behind 2011’s 30 Minutes or Less, the story of
an underachieving Pizza delivery driver (hence the title) who finds himself kidnapped and bribed
into robbing a bank by a couple of spoiled grown men who want the money to open
a tanning salon that would be a front for a brothel. Little did the writers
know (or at least so they say – only admitting they may have been ‘aware of
it’), that back in Aug 2003, Pizza delivery driver Brian Douglas Wells entered
a bank in Erie, Pennsylvania with a bomb around his neck. He had similar
motives than that of the main character in 30 Minutes or Less, with the film’s
other characters strongly resembling real life people involved with the case.
However, main character Nick is nothing like Brian Douglas Wells. This is a shame,
as I think a film closer to the truth might have had a lot more going for it. I
loved the idea but I hated the script. The humour is appalling and
unfortunately low-brow. The film starts with an incredibly irritating argument
between Nick and his best mate/roommate Chet, played by Jesse Eisenberg and
Aziz Ansari respectively that almost made me switch it off. I’m not the world’s
biggest Jesse Eisenberg fan I have to admit, I think he has found better suited
roles since 2011 but his earlier work leaves me a bit cold. He’s not that bad
here, it’s just that I can think of a hundred or so other actors who would have
been better. I didn’t think much of Aziz Ansari’s character either and the
dialogue between the two was generally horrible, which didn’t convince me that
they were the best friends they were supposed to be. I also didn’t think much
of Danny McBride, although he was perfect for the role in many respects. A film
starring Jesse Eisenberg and Danny McBride is a film I would generally avoid –
and have done – until giving it a go once it came on the telly one night.
However, it’s better than expected, with a rather rewarding conclusion, let
down by a terrible script. Nick Swardson is the film’s main redeeming feature
and I enjoyed Michael Pina’s small role but I think Fred Ward’s appearance was
criminally wasted. It a confusing one really, as the film starts off as a crap
teen comedy, wanders into the sort of thing you’d expect from a Will Ferrell
movie and ends its last five minutes like a classic cult crime film from the
70s. It feels like it was directed by two different people, one with huge
talent and enthusiasm, and the other uninterested in the project and simply on
the studio payroll. The alternative ending that wasn’t used sounds rather happy
and very Hollywood, so the best thing the film does is to scrap it and go with
the moody, rather chilling conclusion. Overall, it is a brilliant idea
squandered, with inappropriate humour and a poorly suited cast.
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