I must be a horrible film critic. For the life of me, I can never get into the mindset of backing the party line. Sure, I go into a movie offended at its over-marketing. I remain wary of an actor I know has made bad choices before. I remember the pandering directors sink to on the E! Channel. But still, I'm willing to wipe the slate clean and look at a movie on its own level. That's why I stand almost alone among critics in liking \Death to Smoochy.""
Party liners hate ""I am Sam"" for being too emotionally pandering for drama. The thing is, it's a melodrama'a genre based on pandering to emotions. They hate ""Tomb Raider"" for having no plot complexity. They hate ""Amelie"" for being trite and too sweet. Would they hate a fish for being too wet?
Now, I don't pretend to be a better critic than any professional'they certainly have more experience and film knowledge. But what's the deal with ignoring the limits and structures a film sets up for itself? I hate to think such ignorance is what I'm supposed to learn to become a real critic. ""Death to Smoochy"" is a social satire hiked up to obvious exaggeration, mirrored by over-exaggerated direction by Danny DeVito. Admittedly, the satire side of the film doesn't really have a new or engrossing message.
""Smoochy"" sets up a world in which the children's entertainment industry teams with gangsters and corruption. The only thing that keeps merchandising conglomerates in check is star scandal. That's not enough to make a good comedy, and the film recognizes this, weaving the real humor into subtle performances and double entendres.
The movie opens with Robin Williams as Rainbow Randolph, a children's host with the charisma of Slim Goodbody and the innuendo of Pee Wee Herman. (His theme song has the lines, ""Some like to pitch, some like to catch/Some say grab, others say snatch."") He gets caught taking payola, and networks execs Jon Stewart and Catherine Keener must find a replacement.
They do so in Edward Norton, a sweet and socially conscious guy in a purple rhino suit. He won't put up with blatant merchandising and ice shows, though, leading to dangerous trouble with corrupt charities and agents. Oh, and the insane Williams stalks Norton throughout.
All that's only so funny. Appearances by the Irish mafia, a brain-damaged boxer and self-immolation get a few guilty laughs. But, the real comedy comes from the performances. Norton's sweeter than sweet southerner starts to really get interesting when we find out he's gone through anger management classes. Keener is as funny as ever. And Michael Risopoli plays the former boxer, Spinner, with the perfect tone. The heavy-handed satire serves only as the skeleton these performances hang upon. Even Williams, with high frantic mishmash of impressions and one-liners works better in this framework than he has since ""The Fisher King."" In order to enjoy ""Death to Smoochy,"" you have to let yourself go. Accept that the satire will be over the top. The direction will be visually heavy handed. (DeVito even zooms in and out on the split screens.) But that's part of the fun. Once you figure out the framework of the film, look for the nuances of humor. They will make you laugh out loud, even if you are a critic.
