Cedar Rapids

Comedy 'Cedar Rapids' enjoyable surprise

Fox Searchlight

Anne Heche and Ed Helms in a scene from "Cedar Rapids."

Tim Lippe is a nerdy, sheltered individual whose life changes when he goes to an insurance convention in the big city of Cedar Rapids in the unexpectedly good comedy “Cedar Rapids.”

The insurance chain emphasizes God, family and doing right by the customer. Yes, the agents could sell more insurance than to unsuspecting customers, but they strive to be honest.

Ed Helmes plays Lippe, who goes to the conference in order to retain the top insurance award for their little agency in Brown Valley, Wis. A fellow agent usually attended the conference, but he died accidentally while trying to choke himself during a sexual act.

Tim is naive. He sleeps regularly with his old seventh-grade teacher, played by Sigourney Weaver.

As a youngster, he was the guy expected to go places in the world, but instead he works to help others achieve their dreams.

His life changes in a big way when he lands in Cedar Rapids.

A prostitute asks for a cigarette as a come-on to determine if he might be a customer. But Tim is oblivious to her occupation, tells her smoking is bad and offers her some butterscotch candy.

He shares a suite at the convention with conventional agent Ronald Wilkes (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) and party-hardy Dean Ziegler, played by John C. Reilly.

Add into the mix Anne Heche, who plays Joan Ostrowski-Fox, who is married with children but uses the convention to find a sex partner for the weekend.

Kurtwood Smith plays the paternal president of the company. Before they eat, he leads them in prayer. He gives fatherly advice.

Tim must do a one-on-one presentation to Smith’s character in order to retain the big award and thus insure the viability of the franchise.

The film has some of the raunchiness of “The Hangover” and its ilk, but is slightly more conventional.

That doesn’t mean the film isn’t worth the effort. I found it on HBO’s on demand channel and was surprised how much I liked the film.

Everybody is out to achieve their own goals, but they appear to be there to help their fellow agents as well.

Of course, not everything is as it seems.

There is a humanity to the Ziegler character you didn’t expect and the plot has enough unexpected twists and turns to keep you entertained.

The characters also are multi-dimensional. You can see their different sides and they offer some surprises, even the prostitute.

I was not expecting a whole lot from the film but was pleasantly surprised.

The nerdy Helms’ character really helped to give the film an extra depth of humanity that made it unique and enjoyable.

But keep in mind this isn’t the Waltons of insurance agents. There’s plenty in the film to give it the R rating.

CEDAR RAPIDS

• Directed by Miquel Arteta
• Written by Phil Johnston
• Rated R for crude and sexual content, language and drug use
• Runtime: 87 minutes
• 3 stars out of 4

Arthur

Character 'Arthur' annoying no matter who plays part

Barry Wetcher / Warner Bros.

Russell Brand is the latest "Arthur."

“Arthur” has never been my idea of a great movie concept.

You’ve got a multi-millionaire man-child whom we are supposed to find lovable.

Dudley Moore originally played the habitually drunkened Arthur back in 1981. The movie was OK, but grew annoying as the film progressed.

The same with the 2011 remake starring Russell Brand, up to a point. Sorry Moore fans, but Brand was slightly more fun.

It starts with Brand going out on the town with his chauffeur, Bitterman, played by Luis Guzman. Except they portray Batman and Robin. OK, cheap humor, but Guzman is pretty hilarious as an overweight, Hispanic Robin.

Soon they crash their Batmobile and are arrested by the police. But it’s no big deal. The cops know Arthur and arresting him is a regular event. The press also loves to report on Arthur’s exploits, he being the heir to a big corporation.

After being released from prison, he starts tossing money around at a bar, his way of improving the economy.

Yes, he’s lovable and incompetent. Don’t you just love his free spirit?

His mother, played by Geraldine James, doesn’t. So she gives him one of those situation-comedy ultimatums, marry the daughter of another wealthy family or be cut off from his income source.

His fiancee, Susan Johnson, is played by Jennifer Garner, and future dad-in-law is none other than raspy Nick Nolte, playing a self-made millionaire who garnered his millions in construction.

The Nolte scenes are pretty disposable. It seems like they could have been reworked to spotlight his talent. And for the most point, you see him a bit and he’s gone. Not an intricate part of the film, except, maybe, when he’s holding Arthur’s head to a buzzsaw.

This being the film with the predictable plot, enter now a young woman with some of Arthur’s zany practices, but make her poor. Then let them fall in love. Ahhhhh.

So Arthur must marry the snooty rich girl or lose his fortune. The girl he loves is played by Greta Gerwig as a young woman who earns her living giving unauthorized tours of New York. Apparently, this is an illegal action, as she is stopped by police. So heck, she’s a bit of a rebel, too. Offering unsanctioned tours of the Big Apple.

So not a real original plot. You got the rich guy who will lose his fortune if he doesn’t marry the stuck up rich girl. But he’s in love with the off-the-wall poor girl. There’s even a scene almost out of “I Love Lucy” in which both women are in his cavernous apartment and he must keep them from running into each other.

Helen Mirren plays his faithful, sarcastic servant, Hobson. Sir John Gielgud played the role in the original picture.

This pedestrian film is really saved by Brand’s over-the--top acting. He’s a hilarious guy, the same as when he plays the has-been rock star on Showtime’s “Californication.”

There’s some pretty funny scenes with his Arthur character in an AA meeting.

In less capable hands, “Arthur” would be a real mess. But Brand makes the movie rather palatable. He at least provides enough laughs to make the film worth your time.

ARTHUR

• Directed by Jason Winer
• Written by Peter Baynham and Steve Gordon
• Runtime: 110 minutes
• Rated PG-13 for alcohol use throughout, sexual content, language, some drug references