One of the great appeals of Schmucks is the novel premise, a combination of fratboy prank and college hazing for CEOs. Tim (Rudd) has been angling for a way to climb the corporate ladder in the financial firm where he toils away on the 6th floor with the rest of the mid-level employees. His dreams of moving up the the vaunted 7th floor are within his grasp after his boss invites him to dinner. A very special dinner, where they invite "unique" people as guests and basically make fun of them. A distasteful concept in itself, one that Tim is all too eager to partake in, to the disgust of his girlfriend, Julie(Stephanie Szostak).
Even as Tim tries to back out on the dinner to ensure his girlfriend doesn't freeze him out forever, fate seems to be playing favorites as he literally runs into the perfect idiot to make his potential peers happy. Tim's car wreck of an introduction to Barry(Carell) sets the stage for the future of their relationship. Barry is a loser to the nth degree. Not just an idiot, but a sort of chemically bred super moron, who's hobby is recreating masterpieces using dead mice. Tim's invitation turns Barry into the friendliest, most havoc wreaking stalker in history, as every step he makes causes wanton destruction. Karmic retribution is in full effect as Tim's life crumbles all around him as Barry tries to "help" patch up his failing relationship and tenuous work status. A lunch dinner with a potential client involves insulting the Swedish, a false marriage proposal, and a car ran through with a signpost. And that's just the start of it.
Genuinely uncomfortable, cringe worthy moments are Schmucks' high points. It excels when Tim is is pestering the poor, beleaguered Barry. Carell gets as much emotion and believability out of a fairly one-note, absurd character. He's similar to his Michael Scott character from The Office in their mutual cluelessness and lack of self awareness. I think that Paul Rudd has fallen into a rut of playing the same character in too many movies. He's the guy who needs to have his heart warmed up and taught a lesson. He's just coasting here, and isn't particularly funny when given the opportunity. The real scene stealer is Jemaine Clement, late of HBO's Flight of the Conchords, as an egotistical artist trying to steal Tim's girlfriend. The storyline doesn't really work, like many of the subplots, but it's the best I've seen from Clement yet. I wanted to follow his character and ditch everybody else. Speaking of subplots that don't work, Zach Galifianakis as a mind controlling moron who shares a past with Barry should've been left on the cutting room floor. I'm almost convinced at this point that we've seen Galifianakis's one shining moment in The Hangover, and we'll see him attempt to recreate that magic in film after film.
The defining dinner scene is another problem, as the snobby rich folks of course must be put in their place and the losers given their moment to shine. That would work if we were given a reason to care about any of them, but personally I find it hard to relate to a guy who has a puppet for a wife. I got no sympathy for a lady who speaks to dead animals over dinner. If she can't see why that's a bad idea then she deserves a little criticism. Most of the jokes, in particular an imaginary "battle of the boobs" between Carel and Galifianakis just falls face first into the plate.
Perhaps if director Jay Roach hadn't played it so safe, maybe Schmucks would be worth a plate or two. Instead, it goes out of it's way to give us a cushy ending that frankly none of these characters really earns. A darker turn is where they really needed to go, rather than trying to make a broad appeal summer comedy. You'll get some real, hearty laughs out of Carell and the rest of the talented cast, but I doubt many will be rushing for a second helping.
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