The Whole Nine Yards

THE WHOLE NINE YARDS (2000) ** Matthew Perry, Bruce Willis, Natasha Henstridge, Amanda Peet, Michael Clarke Duncan, Rosanna Arquette, Kevin Pollak, Harlan Williams.

Matthew Perry is one of my favorite comedic actors in that he's kind of a throwback to the light comedy fare of Jack Lemmon and Tom Hanks: handsome, charming and an utter neurotic mess with a sharp self-deprecating wit with his nonchalant sarcastic jibing that is all play and totally harmless, with a twist of slapstick. Here all of that is on display with a finely tuned tailor made character not unlike his tv alter ego, Chandler Bing (love that name!) from `Friends'.

Oz Oseransky is a mild-mannered affable dentist whose life is in flux when his trampy French accented wife Sophie (Arquette in full blown voluptuosness) decides she wants to end their marriage. But not by the usual traditional method of divorce or anulment; instead she takes out a contract on his life Enter newly arrived next-door-neighbor Jimmy `The Tulip' Tudeski (Willis in barely restrained comic form) a hitman keeping it low since there's a contract on him by a really ticked off Russian thug (Pollak oozing Eurotrash unctuousness). But when Oz's wife approaches him he is hard-pressed to do what comes natural since Oz turns out to be the good neighbor he never had and an unlikely ally as things progress in the plotline that eventually involves Jimmy's estranged, va-va-va voom wife Cynthia (Henstridge, best known as the sexy alien in the `Species' sci-fi flicks) who wants a divorce but knows that it's more likely a hit would be necessary.

Meanwhile Oz is struck by love at first sight when he meets Mrs. Jimmy and winds up bedding her (in spite of the fact he knows who Jimmy is after some hilarious reaction shots as the story moves on with each new trickle of information on his new `friend'), which only complicates things when Jimmy announces he is going to `whack' her and Janni, the mad Russian.

Perry is a marvelous reactionary actor and plays very well off a unique ensemble including the babelicious Peet as Jill, his receptionist- turned - assassin - wannabe , who has a knack for displaying her natural assets to dissuade any potential violent threat and Duncan (recently nominated for a Best Supporting Actor as the gentle giant in `The Green Mile') has a sweet low-key turn as the hulking pal of Willis who provides some funny sight gags (including his first meeting with Perry who literally bounces off this wall of a man).

Yet no matter how game the cast is - including off the wall comic Harland Williams as another seedy character who doesn't appear to be who he claims to be - and the fast pace of the storyline, there aren't that many memorable lines of dialogue or full grasp that a lethal killer like Jimmy actually has a heart of gold for the likes of a schnook like Oz.

It would be easy to blame the less than compelling story line on screenwriter Mitchell Kapner (who gives an original spin on a plot twist and complex scenario involving dental records and a corpse) or director Jonathan Lynn (`My Cousin Vinny'), but both make the best overall. It just isn't a fresh idea (think of `The In-Laws' which set the high water mark for odd couple/fish-out-of-water hybrid with a criminal element) that seems to hook the attention of a much needed audience. But it is divertingly fun just to see Perry slamming himself silly like a pinball.

Time is 2000. Bruce Willis fresh off 'the Fifth Element'. An on-form Matthew Perry fresh off 'Friends'. This is a crime-comedy with all the goods from either world, and it's done *just right*. The plot is good, and the film's got that typical contorted type story at the middle of it linking many different characters, but still absolutely coherent and compelling. Perry really is very funny in this one, and it's about to be one crazy ride for this prude of a dentist when an ex- big time conman is his neighbor and he finds out who he is and somehow finds himself involved. This is a crazy ride, with lots of great fun and action, good laughs, a good atmosphere between tight tension and comedy relief, the supporting cast is great, and the plots within the plots are strong enough to make this a fairly layered piece of genre-hybrid cinema. Just all in all, an excellent comedy.

I rented The Whole Nine Yards a few days ago, and just watched it this morning, I'm such a huge Bruce Willis fan, I don't see him that often in comedies, so I was curious how this would work. But after viewing this film, I have to just say that this movie was just so funny! I couldn't believe how much it made me laugh, I know it's such a dark subject, but it was pretty cool how they just turned into a zanny comedy. Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry were just the most perfect choices, they were like ying and yang. Matthew as this guy who just is scared of everything and finally has something at the end to say where he has control and Bruce couldn't have been a more perfect choice as the cocky and yet charismatic hit man who could be threatening but yet the most likable guy in the world. The story was just very clever and worked so well with the cast.

Nick is just your average guy, he is a dentist and a very likable guy, but he gets walked on quite a bit, especially by his wife who he feels like he owes her family, so he won't divorce her. But one day, a new neighbor moves in, Nick notices him pretty much off the bat, it's Jimmy "the tulip" Tudeski, the famous hit man who has killed 17 people and also ratted out his boss. He's on the run from his boss in Chicago and has a ransom on his head. Nick actually likes Jimmy, but his wife, Sophie, says to turn him in and get the award. He goes to Chicago and falls in love with Jimmy's wife, Cynthia. When Nick comes back home to Canada, he learns from Jimmy that his wife has gone to hire a hit man to kill Nick. But Nick also learns that Jimmy wants to kill Cynthia, Jimmy's boss wants to kill Nick, Nick's receptionist is also a hit woman, pretty much everyone wants to kill everyone.

That's pretty much the best way to sum up The Whole Nine Yards, but trust me when I say that this is such a fun movie. I really had a good time watching this movie, Bruce Willis was just so great. But I have to admit that Amanda Peet's performance floored me when she was just admiring Bruce's work and getting advice from him on what her first hit should be like. She was just so adorable while being deadly. So please, I would recommend this film, it's a dark comedy, yes, but it's all good, just learn to let go and have fun if you're very sensitive on the subject.

7/10

Now here is a rare breed: a mainstream movie that works at just about every level without dumbing anything down or making the average viewer think too hard. "The Whole Nine Yards" is a great movie to simply sit back and enjoy.

Nicholas "Oz" Ozeransky (Matthew Perry) is a mild-mannered dentist whose stuck with a wife who hates him (Rosanna Arquette in a hilariously over-the-top performance) and a huge debt that his partner (his father-in-law) left him when he kicked the bucket. Then his new neighbor moves in. This neighbor, much to Oz's horror, is none other than Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski (Bruce Willis), the infamous hit-man for the Gogolak gang. Oz's wife tells him that they should rat Jimmy out to the Gogolaks to get a "finder's fee." Oz obviously refuses, but agrees to go when his wife agrees that if he does this, she'll give him a divorce. Thus begins a hilarious story of double crosses, new romances, and hamburgers with mayonnaise.

The cast is first rate. Matthew Perry is in full panic-mode, and his reactions to the situations he finds himself in (and their resulting consequences) are hilarious. Bruce Willis is perfectly cast as Jimmy. It's a typecast role, but Willis plays him with a slight tongue-in-cheek. It works wonderfully. While it allows for plenty of laughs, it also gives him an air of menace, which adds another layer to the humor. We are aware of Jimmy's capacity for violence, but the way Willis plays it results in moments of laughter mixed with suspense. Natasha Henstridge radiates a cool sexuality mixed with vulnerability as Jimmy's ex-wife who falls for Oz. Michael Clarke Duncan is also well-cast as Jimmy's fellow hit-man, Frankie. Kevin Pollack and Rosanna Arquette are so over-the-top that their performances must be seen to be believed.

But as good as this cast is, and it's great, the film is stolen from all of them by newcomer Amanda Peet. It takes a great performer to steal scenes with actors at the top of their game. But Peet didn't just steal her scenes, she walked away with the whole movie. Peet is positively delightful as Oz's ditzy receptionist, who has more of a part to play in this than anyone realizes. Peet is hysterical; her performance should have at least gotten her an Oscar nod, if not a win.

"The Whole Nine Yards" is a mix of film-noir and screwball comedy. Director Jonathan Lynn has a lot of fun with the conventions of each genre, including mixing and matching the character traits of the femme-fatale and the "good girl" (you'll see what I mean when you watch the movie). What I really liked is that the humor of the movie is not over-the-top exaggeration humor (like The Farrelly Brothers). This is more about timing and dialogue; it's like a 1930's screwball comedy without the Hays Code. To be sure, the film does not leave out the trademark of the noir genre: the twisty plot. "The Whole Nine Yards" boasts plenty of surprises, and quite a bit of suspense. Just because this is a comedy doesn't mean you can tell where it's going.

Mixing these two genres would seem impossible because more often than not, one would dilute the other. But Lynn manages to walk the line between the two opposite genres and play them both equally well. The film is well-paced, and the timing on the jokes is perfect. There are no over-the-top visual effects, and that's a good thing.

"The Whole Nine Yards" may not be classic film material, but it's highly entertaining. And with a movie like this, that's just about all that one could ask for.

"The Whole Nine Yards" is a comedy that is what it is ... A Comedy

This is not a epic movie or a Oscar nominee, it is a pure entertaining movie. Whit Action star Bruce Willis in a different role. (You haven't seen him like this since "Blind Date" or "Death becomes her")

Matthew Perry is hilarious in this move, and the rest of the cast has their moments, and they are using them good.

"The Whole Nine Yards" is funny and entertaining like a comedy of this sort should be.

I mean that this is a good move, and I will recommend it to others. But I also say: "Either you like this movie or you don't".