Vic_max
This was a pretty wacky movie - very unusual and unlike anything I've seen before.This movie has fairly basic plot: a recently released 40+ year old lady wants to help bring her father out of a coma, so she embarks on the task of bettering herself by going back to high school and excelling. If it doesn't make sense, that's OK - it's nothing compared to the characters.What makes this movie so unusual are the characters - the lead character (Amy Sedaris), the principal, the parents, etc. They are so strangely conceived and acted that it's really wild to watch. I guess that means that the actors and director did a pretty good job.I can't say this movie was funny. Rather, it was amusing because of the extreme nature of characters. It was interesting to watch just to see what they were going to say next.If you're in the mood for something really strange - check this out. You'll know after the first 10 minutes if this is something that's going to interest you.
Robert_Hearth
"Strangers with Candy" (2005) Directed By: Paul Dinello Starring: Amy Sedaris, Greg Hollimon, Paul Dinello, Deborah Rush, Stephen Colbert, Dan Hedaya, Allison Janney, & Philip Seymour Hoffman MPAA Rating: "R" (for sexual content, language and some drug material) "Strangers with Candy" started out as a short-lived television series on Comedy Central. It lasted, I believe, for eleven episodes in 1999 before being cancelled. It told the story of a forty-six year old ex-drug addict who went back to high school. I never caught the series on television…and, obviously, I was not the only one. However, the people who did watch it loved it. It became an instant cult classic. I still haven't seen a single episode so, to be perfectly honest, I couldn't care less about seeing this movie. But, having heard great things about the series, I decided I would give it a chance. Now, I can honestly say that the plot is nothing special and really isn't that funny. What makes "Strangers with Candy" so wonderful is Amy Sedaris. Her performance makes the entire movie click. Watching Sedaris work makes this experience one that everyone should check out at some time or another. She allows the movie to transcend its rather typical plot to become a surprisingly funny comedy.This movie is a prequel to the television series mentioned above (or, at least, that's what they tell me--I don't really know). Jerri Blank (Sedaris) is a middle-aged woman who has just been released from jail after being imprisoned on drug charges. When she gets home, she finds that her father, Guy (Hedaya), remarried, had a son, and happened to fall into a coma. Jerri decides that becoming "special" will help her dad recover so she returns to high school in hopes of excelling. Immediately, things go from bad to worse. She just cannot find a place in the vastly-different school system and seems to be making enemies left and right. The school, itself, is a blend of back-stabbing teenagers and careless, thoughtless administrators. What kind of grief counselor requests tips and a strict ten minute session limit, you ask? Well, the one working at this school does. But, Jerri hatches an ingenious plan (okay, as "ingenious" as one that Jerri could device) to take part in the school's science fair. Winning, she hopes, will be the perfect key to bring her dad back to her.The performances in "Strangers with Candy" work quite well and, really, they make the movie what it is. Amy Sedaris gives one of the best comedic performances of the year, proving that she is Jerri Blank. There is no substitute. I found myself laughing every time she was on the screen (which was almost always). She just had an undeniable charm about her and is a true comic genius. Deborah Rush also does a nice job as Jerri's spiteful stepmother. She was great. Greg Hollimon, who plays Principal Blackman, aced the material, coming off as a satirical look at the educational system without appearing to be ridiculous or cheesy. He just worked. I really enjoyed his performance. Stephen Colbert, another comic genius (if I do say so myself), is hilarious as the flamboyantly gay teacher. Granted, the material given to him was just perfect, but he really owned the role and made it his own. On a special note, what was with Dan Hedaya? He was unconscious for almost the entire movie. Couldn't they get just some random actor to lie in a bed for an hour and a half? It just seemed a little strange to me.On the downside of this movie, there were a few moments when I thought the plot kind of slacked. The plot itself wouldn't have worked had it not had been for the great cast. It was predictable, clichéd, and a little silly, but, because of such actors and actresses as Amy Sedaris, it worked well enough. This movie reminded me (oddly enough) of "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan". "Borat" also had a rather dull plot--okay, in all actuality, there was hardly a plot at all, but, because of Sacha Baron Cohen, the movie worked like a charm. This was also the case with "Napoleon Dynamite". Jon Heder, whether you die-hard fans will admit it or not, made that movie. Amy Sedaris did the same thing with "Strangers with Candy". Her wonderful performance made this movie a gem--forgotten by the general public (it only grossed a little over $2 million)--but a gem nonetheless.Final Thought: "Strangers with Candy" has Amy Sedaris to thank for its effectiveness.Overall Rating: 7/10 (B+)
