Film

Due Date

Rebecca Sear | Friday 5 November, 2010 12:34

Director: Tod Phillips
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis

Everyone’s got one: the type of friend who fate threw you together with and now you just can’t seem to drop. Can’t think who it is? Then it’s probably you. Or you have no friends. In either case, you’ll probably have sympathy for Robert Downey Junior’s character in ‘new’ comedy Due Date.

Downey Jr. plays fretful expectant father Peter Highman, who hops on the plane from Arizona to LA in order to be a doting daddy. However, an unfortunate collision with failing actor Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis) means that he finds himself on the no fly list. Unable to board a plane, and with dwindling funds, he must share a rent-a-car with Tremblay for three long days. In case you haven’t seen the trailer, yes, it is exactly like Trains, Planes and Automobiles starring Steve Martin and John Candy. Fractious protagonist? Check. Tubby antagonist? Check. Calamity and mishap at every turn but eventual buddy bonding? Check.

If one can ignore that the concept is completely and 100 per cent stolen, it’s actually a really enjoyable film. Steve Martin’s character—whoops!—Robert Downey Jr.’s character is played to varying degrees of brilliance because he manages grumpy and volatile so damn well. Proof to show just how much of a quality actor he is can be found pretty much every other scene when he delivers threats-to-make-your-balls-curl-up-and-hide to Tremblay; one can’t help but think, however, that he just needs a really, really well written role to make full use of his talents. Remember Sherlock Holmes, Robert? Surely you want to avoid the possibility of having to be cast with Jude Law ever again? Zach Galifianakis’ portrayal of a dim-witted, accident-prone loser with diva tendencies is very watchable, but you get the feeling that goofy is all he feels comfortable playing. There are moments in the film, such as when he scatters his recently deceased father’s ashes, which show genuine promise as an actor for more serious roles but one feels that he has become unfortunately typecast. Other scenes which are particularly funny, such as when Peter punches a child in the stomach (funnier than it sounds) and general slapstick nonsense will have you doubling up with laughter. If you enjoy comedic violence, that is. Also, look out for a brilliant cameo from Juliette Lewis as a sexy drug dealer/ irresponsible mother.

The plot line is essentially pretty standard – just as things seem to be going well, they then come crashing down ferociously. Due Date is definitely worth a trip to the cinema for though; barely a minute passes without something to make you spit your popcorn out in a fit of giggles. If you’re easily impressed by great cinematography, then this is a film for you, since every other scene features increasingly more macho trucks speeding through iconic landscapes. The soundtrack, it has to be said, is boss. That’s the only word for it. It leaves other soundtracks a quivering, stammering mess in the corner, begging for forgiveness for being so inferior. Featuring Ice Cube’s Check Yo Self and Fleet Foxes’ Mykonos amongst other little gems, it’s worth seeing for the tunes alone.

It may not be a particularly original storyline, but it’s bloody funny. Featuring the smouldering charms of Robert Downey Jr. and the inexhaustible folly of Zach Galifianakis, who has certainly got greater things to come, there’s little to not love about this trans- American venture into friendship, family, and eventual fatherhood.

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