First off apologies for the lack of my overlooked film threads. Been going through some life changes in that I just graduated from University and underwent a tenacious job hunt over the past month or so during pretty much the worst possible time. Thankfully I managed to move on past my barely above minimum wage at Staples and will be working for the Canadian Federal Government for 4 months with the possibility of more.
Anyhow, on with the thread.
Why The Wrong Guy?
The Wrong Guy was never a huge hit when it was released and never achieved "must see" status. As such, considering it's a decade old, I feel it's fallen into the territory of a film that will be constantly passed up unless you're specifically told to go and watch it. Right now I'm doing that but it is a stellar comedy. Plus it's a Canadian film and you guys know how much I like to try and toss some Canadian film recommendations your way.
So what's the plot?
The Wrong Guy tells the story of dorky executive Nelson Hibbert (Foley), who gets passed over for a promotion. Upon hearing this, he ends up shouting "I'll kill you!" as security drags him from the board room. Later, when he goes to confront his boss (Kenneth Welsh), he finds that the man has already been murdered, and, due to the scene he made earlier, assumes that he will be mistaken for the murderer. Nelson flees, unaware that security cameras have already revealed the identity of the true killer to the authorities. Nelson tries to escape to Mexico, but along the way he meets both the real killer (Feore) and the murder's investigator, Detective Arlen (Higgins), who Nelson believes is trailing him. Chaotic events transpire and Nelson meets a narcoleptic farm girl, Lynn Holden (Tilly). What follows is a bizarre series of misadventures marked with slapstick routines and constant one-liners. Wikipedia Entry
So why should I watch it?
Because it's downright fucking hilarious. If you've seen a Hitchcock film or two you'll be able to really appreciate the tone of this film. In fact, upon reflection, it almost feels a bit like The Big Lebowski in the sense that the complete opposite of the appropriate character is placed into the lead role. Instead of being competent of somewhat intelligent Foley, as Nelson Hibbert, is pretty much useless at everything which makes for a ridiculous thriller. In addition to that he's "on the run" from no one because the murder he thinks the police think he's guilty of was actually caught on tape. So not only is he an idiot but his entire adventure is rendered worthless.
Anyhow you can tell that the style of the film is highly influenced by Hitchcock's films but The Wrong Guy is never a lampoon or satire of Hitchcock's work. It simply uses his visual style of film-making in order to deliver additional laughs for film buffs who actually get that aspect of the film.
I should caution that if you don't like David Foley you'll most likely hate this, but then if you don't like David Foley you've probably only seen his later stuff where he pretty much lost his humour (though the Kids in the Hall Death Comes to Town was good, not great but good). Oh and as a plus it has Jennifer Tilly being hot and Colm Feore whose an awesome Canadian actor. Oh and David Higgins who you probably recognize as the guy in love with the mom on Malcolm in the Middle.
How do you rank it doctor 7?
Currently it sits in my second tier on Criticker so I'd give it a 9/10.
I think, ultimately, your enjoyment of this film relies on whether or not you find Dave Foley's style of comedy funny. I do and, as such, I found this movie to be quite entertaining. The supporting cast, Jennifer Tilly and Colm Feore, are both great characters. Plus it does have a very Hitcockian feel to it, which was very impressive because it doesn't come off as being cheesy.
Criticker Review Link
Previous Overlooked Films:
The Big Hit (8/10) | Citizen Duane (9/10) | Ginger Snaps Trilogy (6-8/10) | Cop Land (10/10) | Lake Placid (8/10) | Leatherheads (8/10) | Open Range (9/10) | Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (7/10)