'Cedar Rapids'

'Cedar Rapids' (R) (3 stars)

Writer: Phil Johnston
Director: Miguel Arteta
Starring: Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Kurtwood Smith,
Thomas Lennon, Stephen Root, Alia Shawkat, Rob Corddry, Mike O' Malley,
Sigourney Weaver

"Cedar Rapids" is a small comedy where the laughs come from the characters and the humor is mild but effective. It is not a great or hilarious movie but compared to "Just Go With It" it is a real and smart comedy. Ed Helms is the unlikely hero of this entertaining movie as Tim Lippe who is an insurance agent. He is sent by his jerk of a boss to Cedar Rapids to represent his company, make a presentation and try to win a business award for his company. He is told he will be rooming with some good agents but is told to stay away from a very bad influence and his name is Dean Ziegler. Well wouldn't you know it but Dean is forced to room with Tim and his other roommate. Dean and Tim will become unlikely friends and grow to really respect each other. Dean is played by John C. Reilly who is so good here as he was in last year's "Cyrus". With this and his performance in "Cyrus" Reilly is on a real roll, he is genuinely funny and effective and I would love to see him in a movie every year. I also really liked Ed Helms here whose character is a real loser at first but he grows on you and you end up cheering for him. There is also some of the finest work I have seen Anne Heche give in a long time. Heche plays another agent who starts to really like Tim. Heche and Helms have good chemistry together and Heche looks really good here.

There is also some great character work done by Isaiah Whitlock Jr. as Tim's other roommate and good supporting turns by Stephen Root (Office Space), Rob Corddry and Alia Shawkat (Whip It). As Tim and the others get involved in a very wild night and things get crazy the movie stays grounded thanks to the acting and the well written characters. I really believed that these were real people and the comedy gets broad but it doesn't become stupid. Ed Helms is really good in "The Office" and he showed he could co star in a funny blockbuster like "The Hangover" and here he proves he can carry a movie by himself. Miguel Arteta has made some offbeat and funny movies like "Chuck and Buck" and "The Good Girl". Here he has delivered another funny, charming and slightly twisted comedy and the movie really grows on you. The screenplay is smart, there are genuinely funny moments and the characters are fun to spend time with. This is not a movie where the laughs come fast and furious but I will take this over crap like "Just Go With It" any day! There is actually smart people with great talent here that don't insult their audience.