‘Unfinished Business’
C-
What do “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” “The Promotion” and “The Pursuit of Happyness” have in common? They were all written by Steven Conrad.
Now, Conrad has brought his gift for blending comedy and drama to “Unfinished Business.”
“Unfinished Business” stars Vince Vaughn as Dan Trunkman, a middle-aged man who leaves his job to pursue the American dream by creating his own business. What could go wrong?
Along for the ride are Timothy McWinters and Michael Pancake. Tim, played by Tom Wilkinson, is an elderly man let go from his job because of his age. Mike, played by Dave Franco, is a confusing young man with no business experience.
Filled with hope— and contempt toward their former company, the three launch their business. A year later, they are in debt and desperate for a business deal — so desperate they travel to Germany to get the sacred handshake that will seal the deal.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Conrad film without some mishaps. Chasing the deal leads the three into some awkward situations, ranging from driving the wrong way down a road to tracking a business associate into a sex fetish club.
These situations are the perfect setups for scathing dialogue full of witty insults and moments that obliterate the walls of your comfort zone. But, for reasons I don’t understand, Conrad and the movie’s director, Ken Scott, choose to pull back and play it safe.
Instead of pushing the boundaries, they stay as far away from them as possible, keeping the jokes mild and the reactions unexpectedly dull.
The story is undeniably focused on Vaughn’s character and how his career is affecting his personal life, but the script fails to highlight Vaughn’s talents as a comedic actor.
Vaughn’s comedy delivery is dry, consisting of heavy sarcasm, clever one-liners and facial expressions that signal every thought he is holding back.
In “Unfinished Business,” Vaughn’s dialogue is restricted to heartfelt concerns for his family with a handful of quips to spice things up.
If anything, the script relies on Vaughn’s dramatic acting, allowing him to slip into the role of a concerned and loving father with a quirky sense ?of humor.
Where the screenplay fails Vaughn, it sets up Franco perfectly. Franco’s character is the human embodiment of a puppy. He’s awkward and often far too happy and, at times, completely witless.
Mike Pancake is a far cry from the cocky playboy Franco has been in “Neighbors” and “21 Jump Street,” but he pulls it off without a hitch. He claims the film’s funniest lines for himself and uses innocent reactions to the most ridiculous situations to draw out laugh after laugh.
Wilkinson is just kind of there for the ride, providing absurd and somewhat eyebrow-raising comic relief where needed.
“Unfinished Business” is a different kind of comedy, and I’ve been begging for different. But it was executed poorly. It focused too much on the light-hearted side and didn’t take full advantage of the actors or the big plot points.
