When I watched David O Russell's 2004 existentialist comedy I Heart Huckabees, I remember being struck by just how funny Mark Wahlberg was in it.
As an ennui-plagued fireman, Walhberg displayed a hitherto untapped talent for deadpan comedic delivery.
In the years since, my views on Wahlberg's ability to be funny have evolved. His history as a juvenile delinquent-turned-R'n'B star-turned movie actor have always lent a unique dimension to his film performances, especially when he's doing something light-hearted.
This background heavily informed his breakout role in Boogie Nights, and continues to lend authenticity whenever he plays a blue collar character - such as in The Fighter and more recently, Contraband.
But every time he's tried to be funny since I Heart Huckabees, it has fallen flat. 2010's action comedy The Other Guys, for which he teamed up with Will Ferrell, has a lot of fans and isn't without plenty of decent jokes, but I found Wahlberg painful in it.