Hall Pass

Buddy comedy from the Farrelly Brothers concerning two men whose wives, fed up with their constant ogling of women, give them permission to do whatever they want for one whole week to get it out of their system.  Open ended setup seems ripe for farce, but the premise is absolutely wasted.   They go to Applebee’s, eat pot brownies on a golf course and get so drunk at a bar they can‘t even speak coherently.  Most of their time is spent being miserable and alone. Long stretches pass where nothing funny happens.  Call it a dramedy about men coming to terms with suburban wedded domesticity.  Surprisingly, with a few edits of raunchy gags, this could have actually been a PG rated drama. A far cry from the team that gave us the outrageous humor of There‘s Something about Mary.  It’s not a terrible film.  There are some gut-busting bits here and there, but if you go in expecting a no holds barred comedy you will be disappointed.  Owen Wilson’s tired character is exactly the same sad sack he’s been playing in every single movie he’s ever done.  But Jason Sudeikis is likeable and can turn badly written lines into something amusing.  He’s gleefully lustful, but never obnoxious.  Also British actor Stephen Merchant provides some laughs with a mental fantasy he has of cheating on his wife.  It’s depressing that the hilarious bit shows up during the closing credits.