Dir. Dan Rush, 97 mins, 2010, USA,
Cast. Will Ferrell, Rebecca Hall, Michael Peña, Christopher Jordan Wallace
Review by Michelle Moore
When you hear about the release of a new comedy drama staring the talented Will Ferrell, you cannot help but be intrigued by what he has in store. In this instance however, don’t get your hopes up.
Based on a short story by Raymond Carver, Everything Must Go tells the story of Nick Halsey (Ferrell), a man whose life collapses around him. The film opens with Halsey losing his job because he is an alcoholic and been involved in an “incident” while under the influence. He returns home to find his wife gone and his belongings out on the front lawn; the locks changed, as have the alarm codes.
Within quick succession, the company car is taken back (with some of his belongings inside), his credit cards stopped, his phone terminated and to top it all off the neighbours have called the police because he is living on the lawn. It takes the heavily pregnant new neighbour Samantha (Hall) and Kenny (Wallace) a bored and lonely young kid to help him through this sticky situation and find the inner peace he desperately needs.
When you think of leading protagonist Will Ferrell you instantly think COMEDY, after all he is known to be one of the leading men in Hollywood at the moment in respect to his comical side. Unfortunately, when it comes to Everything Must Go, it has to be said that this is one of the most disappointing Will Ferrell comedies released. There is not one element, one sentence or event that will put a smile on your face. Even the drama is lackadaisical and never really liven things up. If such a situation was to happen in reality, would the individual involved really just sit back, have a beer and not even attempt to get into the house that they knew for a fact is unoccupied?
Ferrell doesn’t show any real emotion regarding the situation he has been put it and only really kicks off and releases some steam when he tells his pregnant neighbour she is to wind up in the same situation he is in at some time in her life. His lack of will to survive, or even be angry at what has occurred is inadequate and a real let down.
With the film having such an interesting script behind it, a man loosing everything around him and struggling to get back on track, you would expect much more than what is on offer. There are no real on screen struggles, no desperate pleads for help and no actual sign of this erstwhile wife. The character of Nick Halsey just seems to take everything that happens in his stride, resulting in a dull and mundane movie.
Everything Must Go is released on DVD & Blu-ray 31 October
