Movie 43

2013 / Director. Peter Farrelly & various others.

Movie 43 would have to be one of the most critically rejected and universally panned movies of the decade... (and I can see why). And so with this knowledge I approached the movie with my expectations dragging along the ground behind me. Ha, low & behold... I loved it! LOL. I reckon it appeals to my lowbrow sensibilities and, honestly, it's the type of movie critics shouldn't really be bothering with anyway. It comprises of 16 short films (sketches), all of them taboo and offensive, and its jam packed with Hollywood stars. The stories are ridiculous, sleazy and vulgar... but mostly hilarious. From Hugh Jackman's scrotum neck to Anna Faris' unquenchable craving for a Cleveland steamer... Some of the sequences are stronger than others but all are uniquely different. You do need to check your intelligence at the door and be fully prepared for a smutty experience, but for me Movie 43 was a throwback to movies like The Groove Tube. If Robert Altman had made a sequel to The Kentucky Fried Movie this would be it. The movie's backstory is amusing with the script being rejected by every studio in Hollywood over a 10 year period. After it was finally purchased by an independent production company, many of it's A-list stars tried to back out (while others embraced it). Richard Gere agreed to it flippantly but set all kinds of conditions, hoping that Peter Farrelly would give him up... but he didn't. Instead, Farrelly waited him out for over a year until Gere relented and fulfilled his agreement. I think this is a super fun, often hilarious experiment. Its great to see some of these big players having a laugh at themselves and to hell with the consequences. The standout performances belong to Gerard Butler, Hugh Jackman, Terrance Howard and Stephen Merchant. I appreciate why so many people hated Movie 43 but it carries on a long tradition of gaudy sketch movies that demand an understanding from the viewer. I totally got it. Went with it. Loved it. 

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