Big Screen 

Dinner for Schmucks

From the director of Meet The Parents, Dinner For Schmucks looks set to be the Hollywood comedy of the summer.

Dinner For Schmucks, released 20th August, is the Hollywood take on the French classic Le Diner De Cons, a film in which the main characters invite the stupidest person they can find for dinner every Wednesday. The French are still talking (and laughing) about this film 12 years after its release, so the concept clearly has some comedic potential.

In Dinner For Schmucks, Paul Rudd plays Tim, and ambitious young professional whose career success depends on his ability to find the most eccentric guest to take to his boss’ annual Dinner For Extraordinary People. And by eccentric, we mean someone so ridiculous, strange or stupid that their mere attendance at the dinner will provide a whole evening’s entertainment. Nice.

But laughs are pretty much guaranteed, as Tim finds IRS employee Barry, whose sweet-but-stupid nature (and passion for dressing up mice in tiny costumes) makes him the ideal dinner date. Chaos does, of course, ensue, and the end result is one very memorable dinner. Who knows, there might even be a moral to the story.

The film has an impressive cast including top comedy talents (and dream dinner guests) Steve Carrell, Zach Galifianakis and David Walliams. And with Jay Loach (Meet The Parents, 40-year-old Virgin) as director, Dinner For Schmucks looks set to be the Hollywood comedy of the summer.