Shallow Hal ***
Directed by: Bobby and Peter Farrelly
Written by: Sean Moynihan, Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly
Starring: Jack Black, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jason Alexander, Tony Robbins, and Kyle Gass
Rated PG-13 (language, adult situations, brief nudity)
Subtle is not a word one usually thinks of when you see the phrase ‘from the directors of Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary...’ or when you see that the two members of Tenacious D are starring in a movie by the Farrelly brothers. Oddly enough, it’s the only word I can think of to describe the humor in Shallow Hal. That just makes me feel all weird inside.
Here’s the spoiler-free synopsis of the movie... Hal (Black) and Mauricio (Alexander) are best friends, and both of them are unlucky in love. Mauricio is very, very neurotic. (Then again, this is they guy who played George in Seinfeld. Ever hear of that show?). Crazy neurotic. He’s trying to ditch his latest girlfriend because her ‘index’ toe is longer than her big toe. Hal aims far, far too high. “That Britney Spears girl is good, but she’s too muscular.” He’s completely fixated on how a woman looks. This doesn’t apply to his male friends, however. Mauricio has a very bad toupee, and another of his friends, Walt (Rene Kirby)... I won’t ruin that surprise. So, Hal has earned a shallow reputation, hence the title of the movie. Everything changes when his perceptions are altered by self-help guru Tony Robbins (played by Tony Robbins). Hal is now able to see inner beauty, which leads him to Rosemary (Paltrow). Rosemary is gorgeous, at least in Hal’s eyes. For the rest of the world, however, it’s a different story.
How is any of this subtle? You’ll just have to trust me on this. Don’t go into Shallow Hal expecting the sort of gross-out gags that the Farrelly brothers are known for. There are some cartoonish exaggerations in some scenes, but it’s not nearly as over-the-top as their previous films. The tone of the film is almost philisophical. That’s right – I used the P word in a review of a movie by the guys who wrote and filmed the ‘hair gel’ gag. Shallow Hal seems almost mature. I’m not entirely sure if that’s a good thing or not, but it works in this movie. ‘Do looks matter?’ It’s a tough question, and even tougher to base a romantic comedy around. In some ways, no, looks don’t matter. It’s what’s inside that counts. On the other hand, if looks didn’t matter, I wouldn’t be reviewing this movie in the first place. It’s a tough issue, and I’m not about to go into it, or divulge details about one of the best scenes in the movie.
As far as the acting goes, Jack Black is only beginning to be recognized by the general public. He’s been big in the undergournd for years, both with his band Tenacious D (which includes Shallow Hal co-star Kyle Gass), and as a bit player in movies like The Jackal, The Cable Guy, Mars Attacks!, and Bob Roberts. Black should have won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar® for his role as Barry in High Fidelity. He’s an amazing character actor, but I’m not sure he’s meant to be in the lead. Unless it’s in a Tenacious D movie. (If you know The D, you’ll understand.) Gwyneth Paltrow is flat-out adorable in this movie, and does some very good physical acting as well. Most of the time, we see Rosemary through Hal’s eyes, yet she’s able to act 300 lbs. quite well. Watch how she sits. Also watch her eyes. She has an amazingly expressive face. Jason Alexander seems to have become typecast as a neurotic little man. That’s ok, however, because he plays the role well.
It’s a short review because some of the things I’m trying to convey really need to be seen to be understood, and trying to describe some of the scenes will ruin the impact.
