A scene from Cedar Rapids. Photo / Supplied
Ed Helms, the uptight guy from The Hangover films, gets further typecast in this smutty, sweet indie comedy. Starring as the nerdy and beyond naive insurance agent Tim Lippe, Helm reminds the viewer of Steve Carell in The 40 Year Old Virgin.
No matter how geeky and embarrassing the
situations he finds himself in, there is an endearing quality to Tim, and his co-stars. Lippe has never left his hometown in Wisconsin.
So when he's called upon to represent his company at an annual convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he stocks up on travellers' cheques, slaps on a money belt and nervously heads off into unknown territory.
He's in for a life-changing experience, care of his new acquaintances, Ronald (Whitlock), Joan (Heche) and Dean (Reilly) and the discovery that the mild mid-west convention venue is filled with drugs, drinking, prostitution and casual sex.
At first, the characters are abrasive and border on cliche; but by the time they're drunk and taking late-night dips in the hotel pool, their collective charm wins you over.
Reilly steals the show as the crude, loutish divorced man while Whitlock, as the middle-aged, antique-loving, quiet member of the group, shines when he impersonates his co-stars on TV series The Wire, and the foxy Heche is convincing as "one of the boys".
Their camaraderie and some cracker lines help make Cedar Rapids entertaining, if not memorable.
Stars: 3.5/5
Cast: Anne Heche, Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Director: Miguel Arteta
Running time: 88 mins
Rating: R16 (Contains offensive language, drug use and sexual content that may offend)
Verdict: Comedy's mix of sweet and crass a winning combo
-TimeOut
