The Michigan Daily - Monday, July 17, 2006 - 11 'You, Me' and the exit: AM a film about nothing By Imran Syed Daily Arts Writer FILM REVIEW A k k Owen Wilson's latest character comedy "You, Me and Dupree" is really about as big a disaster as a moviegoer can encounter. More than simply a bad film (it certainly is that), it's an epic underachievement, thrashing a wholly talented and gen- erally likable cast while firing off one inane prank You, Me and after another. What we Dupree have here is not a cohesive At the Showcase narrative, nor even bits and Quality 16 and pieces of substance; Universal we have what happens when the eccentric genius behind films like "Wedding Crashers" and "Starsky & Hutch" fails, leaving only well- meaning comedians with absolutely nothing to say or do. The setup of "Dupree" is just as promis- ing as Wilson's last comedy, the successful "Wedding Crashers." Dupree (Wilson) is the eternal slacker, an adult who never really outgrew his irresponsible teenage self. He somehow manages to show up at the Hawaii wedding of his best friend Carl (Matt Dil- lon, "Crash") - but only after landing on the wrong island first. Soon after the wedding, just as Carl and his new wife Molly (Kate Hudson, "The Skeleton Key") are getting ready to start their life together, Dupree gets fired, becomes homeless and is generously invited to live at Carl and Molly's house. So begins the story of the screw-up living in his best friend's house, blowing off job interviews and spending most of his days playing sports with neighborhood kids. Unfortunately for the audience, Dupree isn't the only thing that's screwed up; the "plot," direction and screenplay at times make the film almost unbearable to sit through. There isn't really a single funny moment in the whole film. The lack of humor is astonishing considering that Wilson has but to open his mouth and something hilarious almost always jumps out. (One would have thought that Texas drawl could fix even the most damaged scripts; alas, that's not so). The filmmakers have done here what we all thought impossible; they have found a way to make Wilson boring, asinine and downright annoying. But it isn't just Wilson who looks bad. The film somehow brings out the worst in every actor. Dillon is a great dramatic actor (he earned an Oscar nomination for "Crash") but can be a tad too dry at times. And wouldn't you know it, the only side of Matt Dillon we see in the film is the overly serious, humor- less policeman of personal relationships - not exactly the guy you root for when he faces marital problems. And as for Hudson? She's OK, but there isn't a single scene she's able to make her own, not one line that couldn't as easily have been uttered by any random female lead. This certainly isn't to say she has no special qualities to bring to the table, simply that none of them are used. The fact that the plot winds and swerves into the darkest of narra- tive alleys and gives no actor the chance to become a cohesive character especially hurts Hudson's attempt to portray the supportive yet frustrated wife. As bad as they all are, we can forgive "You have no idea what I'm about to do to Mr. Buliwinkle." Wilson, Dillon and Hudson because it's the movie that makes their characters so terrible (in fact, given the excruciating screenplay they're forced to endure, the three actually remain oddly affable). But Michael Douglas, who plays Molly's overbearing and more- than-slightly creepy father, isn't so lucky. Sure, his role is just terribly conceived, but he's left so far out to dry that even his trade- mark smooth, deliberate enunciation can't buy an ounce of credibility. Is this really the same guy who bettered Robin Williams's remarkable performance in "Good Morn- ing, Vietnam" to pick up an Oscar for "Wall Street" in 1988? Could he really have fallen so far down? Let's hope it's just the "Dupree" effect; we can't afford to lose Michael Douglass to the theatrical equivalent of Priceline commer- cials just yet. .......th DJ Jinx spinnin 7 4 9 . Industrial & Synth-ppr nt YDR0trinmthe Red& Blue s 8+ / Doos oen @ Npm t aBud & Bds Light $2 voda da ins allssnight.e $2 ,,tero, Bass Necast Red Stripe before 11pm SCRE[PERSBEER APPRECIATION NIGH SPORTSGRILL & PUS $2 PINTS 310 Maynard, A2 of ALL 25 Drafts Next to the Maynard parkin structure no cover.