Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
Rising executive Tim Conrad works for a boss who hosts a monthly dinner in which the guest who brings the biggest buffoon gets a career-boost. Tim plans on not attending until he meets Barry, a man who builds dioramas using stuffed mice. Barry's blundering but good intentions send Tim's life into a downward spiral, threatening a major business deal and possibly scuttling Tim's engagement to his fiancee.
Dinner for Schmucks is a middling Hollywood comedy remake of the French film Le Dîner de Cons. The plot is fairly predictable with broad, formulaic situational comedy and little surprise in its arc. Steve Carell and Paul Rudd give committed performances that elevate the material somewhat, but the film relies heavily on escalating embarrassment humor that grows tiresome. Cinematography is serviceable but unremarkable studio comedy fare. As a remake of a well-known film with a straightforward execution, it scores low on novelty. The ending wraps up tidily and sentimentally without much wit or payoff, consistent with the film's generally safe, crowd-pleasing approach.