After starring in one of the worst movies of last year, Duplex, Ben Stiller redeems himself with his latest comedy Along Came Polly.
In this, opposites attract, ordeal Ruben Feffer (Stiller), a risk assessor for a New York insurance company finds his neurotic existence an enjoyable existence until his new wife Lisa (Messing) throws a wrench in his plans on their honeymoon.
On a downward spiral Ruben’s life changes once he meets Polly (Aniston) while out at a party one night. A free wheeling, wild, party girl Polly becomes the most exciting thing to ever happen to Ruben and he finds himself taking chances and throwing his risk obsessed life to the wind.
Along Came Polly brings writer/director John Hamburg back together with actor Ben Stiller, who worked together on their two previous flicks, Meet the Parents and Zoolander. The difference is that this time Hamburg finds himself in his directorial debut with his very own script, which he wrote with Stiller in mind.
It was no mistake that Stiller got this part and it is his great ability to work as the awkward straight man, a part he mastered in There’s Something About Mary and Meet the Parents, that makes it so successful and just like those films Along Came Polly is just as fun and just as comical.
With the comic abilities of Ben Stiller matched with the beauty of Jennifer Aniston where could it go wrong? Aniston is the perfect opposite to Stiller and carries the funny and the drama of Along Came Polly and melds it with her attraction to Stiller’s character. That said I do have to point out that her attraction is perplexing, and never really explained, but the two do have sufficient chemistry.
For the most part this movie is exactly what you might expect from the previews. However, there are two big surprises.
The first is the performance by Phillip Seymour Hoffman who playing Ruben’s best friend Sandy. He is by far the funniest part of the movie, and steals every scene he’s in. The second is the performance of Hank Azaria as a Frenchman Scuba Diver. Azaria is hardly recognizable, and his accent is hilarious.
The best way to describe Along Came Polly is fun and a source of big laughs. It should do well at the box office and gives Aniston one more notch in her belt of successful films after Bruce Almighty in her soon-to-be post-“Friends” soiree.
