Wednesday, March 21, 2007

You, Me And Dupree


Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson have been making a few headlines over the past so many months after co-starring in a spate of films together, including the most recent "You, Me and Dupree." The actress has broken up with her rocker hubby Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes and has been seen in various exotic locales canoodling with the crooked nosed Owen Wilson. Their rumored romance is certainly headline worthy for the various sin papers and tabloid papers that poison our society. "You, Me and Dupree" didn´t make many headlines with showers of awards or any originality, but some may claim the film is poisoning our society. Of course, there is also that little snippet and spat between Steely Dan, Owen Wilson and others over the purported inspiration of the film.

Headlines aside, "You, Me and Dupree" doesn´t break any ground with originality. It also doesn´t incite great bouts of laughter. The film, which stars Owen Wilson as the best man who happens to movie in with his best friend and newlywed wife and crash their marriage is a cliché ridden romantic comedy that is overly predictable and not particularly heartwarming. Starring as the best friend is Matt Dillon and the actress playing the unhappily married wife is Kate Hudson. Michael Douglas joins the fray as the overbearing father of Kate Hudson´s character and a father that doesn´t necessarily welcome Matt Dillon into the family, but embraces Owen Wilson. The plot finds Randy Dupree (Owen Wilson) screwing up routinely throughout the film and causing uproars and situations that threatens the harmony and sanctity of the new marriage.

Owen Wilson is a likeable guy and at times made a career out of portraying the buffoon-like friend. He has tried his hand at action films, and dramas, but it is in comedy where he has made his mark and Randy Dupree is a character that well suits his "surfer-boy yet slacker" attitude. I like Wilson and have enjoyed many of his films. I especially like his work with director Wes Anderson and the films he has starred alongside Jackie Chan with. I found "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" to be likeable, though not groundbreaking. "You, Me and Dupree" is at times entertaining, but its overly formulaic approach and cliché ridden plotline wears thin too quickly and it is painful to watch Dupree slip into a dark and dreary world and then ultimately find redemption. We´ve seen this all too many times and though it is always nice to see the talented Matt Dillon finding work, he should have stopped with this sort of film after "There´s Something About Mary."

There are so many films out there that are funnier, warmer and more entertaining than "You, Me and Dupree." Watching Owen Wilson as the friend that everybody likes evolve into the friend that everybody loathes and then back into the friend that everybody likes was painful at times and the comedy was lost. A clever cameo by Lance Armstrong helped turn the tide for a few moments, but it was a short lived high tide and the film quickly sank back to low tide. I tried hard to laugh at this film, but as the film progressed, it seemed more and more as if ´You, Me and Dupree" was a low-rent knock-off of the far superior "Wedding Crashers," which is a fine example of one of those films out there that are funnier, warmer and more entertaining.

Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson have been making a few headlines over the past so many months after co-starring in a spate of films together, including the most recent "You, Me and Dupree." The actress has broken up with her rocker hubby Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes and has been seen in various exotic locales canoodling with the crooked nosed Owen Wilson. Their rumored romance is certainly headline worthy for the various sin papers and tabloid papers that poison our society. "You, Me and Dupree" didn´t make many headlines with showers of awards or any originality, but some may claim the film is poisoning our society. Of course, there is also that little snippet and spat between Steely Dan, Owen Wilson and others over the purported inspiration of the film.

Headlines aside, "You, Me and Dupree" doesn´t break any ground with originality. It also doesn´t incite great bouts of laughter. The film, which stars Owen Wilson as the best man who happens to movie in with his best friend and newlywed wife and crash their marriage is a cliché ridden romantic comedy that is overly predictable and not particularly heartwarming. Starring as the best friend is Matt Dillon and the actress playing the unhappily married wife is Kate Hudson. Michael Douglas joins the fray as the overbearing father of Kate Hudson´s character and a father that doesn´t necessarily welcome Matt Dillon into the family, but embraces Owen Wilson. The plot finds Randy Dupree (Owen Wilson) screwing up routinely throughout the film and causing uproars and situations that threatens the harmony and sanctity of the new marriage.

Owen Wilson is a likeable guy and at times made a career out of portraying the buffoon-like friend. He has tried his hand at action films, and dramas, but it is in comedy where he has made his mark and Randy Dupree is a character that well suits his "surfer-boy yet slacker" attitude. I like Wilson and have enjoyed many of his films. I especially like his work with director Wes Anderson and the films he has starred alongside Jackie Chan with. I found "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" to be likeable, though not groundbreaking. "You, Me and Dupree" is at times entertaining, but its overly formulaic approach and cliché ridden plotline wears thin too quickly and it is painful to watch Dupree slip into a dark and dreary world and then ultimately find redemption. We´ve seen this all too many times and though it is always nice to see the talented Matt Dillon finding work, he should have stopped with this sort of film after "There´s Something About Mary."

There are so many films out there that are funnier, warmer and more entertaining than "You, Me and Dupree." Watching Owen Wilson as the friend that everybody likes evolve into the friend that everybody loathes and then back into the friend that everybody likes was painful at times and the comedy was lost. A clever cameo by Lance Armstrong helped turn the tide for a few moments, but it was a short lived high tide and the film quickly sank back to low tide. I tried hard to laugh at this film, but as the film progressed, it seemed more and more as if ´You, Me and Dupree" was a low-rent knock-off of the far superior "Wedding Crashers," which is a fine example of one of those films out there that are funnier, warmer and more entertaining.

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