IDENTITY THIEF

2013 / Director. Seth Gordon.

IDENTITY THIEF is an example of two actors stuck in a rut. Jason Bateman has been banging out the same character for a few years now and Melissa McCartney is caught in typecast hell. She's a super talented actress and in fairness to her, she's clinging to her new-found stardom and rolling with it. I'm personally bored with her already and look forward to seeing something different from her... as for Bateman, well who the fuck cares if he's typecast? I love the guy and can watch his schtick forever. He grounds most of his characters with sincerity and its just so damn likeable on screen. So in this new comedy he plays a guy who's identity has been stolen by a scammer in Florida. The police cite "lack of jurisdiction" and he's forced to track her down himself and bring her back to face the law. Of course it's a typical road movie with an odd-couple slant. It mashes Planes Trains and Automobiles with The Bounty Hunger (with a hint of Dumb & Dumber)... for the most part it's a snorefest. Boring, lame and tedious are words I can describe it with. There's nothing new here and Melissa McCarthy is almost unbearable... UNTIL she actually opens up and showcases some depth and range (if only there was more of it). Jason Bateman rolls with the punches and kept me tuned in. I could have easily switched off but his charm got the better of me. As droll as the story is, it does bring it to a nice conclusion and a vaguely satisfying resolution... but now that I've seen it once and that's enough. 

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