`TRIAL' ACTORS CAN'T GRANT SCRIPT A PARDON.Byline: Bob Strauss Daily News Film Critic In the tedious tradition of ``Fathers' Day,'' ``Trial and Error'' is one of those dire movie comedies that seems intent to see how far it can get without being funny. Not too unpleasant apart from that rather glaring flaw, this latest courtroom travesty from ``My Cousin Vinny'' director Jonathan Lynn wastes a lot of game talent's best energy. ``Seinfeld's'' Michael Richards and ``Dumb and Dumber's'' Jeff Daniels exhibit sharp timing, clever expressions, farcical far·ci·cal adj. 1. Of or relating to farce. 2. a. Resembling a farce; ludicrous. b. Ridiculously clumsy; absurd. far physicality and willing silliness, but all in the service of a humorless script. Call it ``Dumber Than My Cousin Vinny.'' Richards plays a goofy actor, Richard Rietti, whose best friend Charles Tuttle (Daniels) is an uptight lawyer. Charlie's about to get married to a big partner's awful daughter. Said big partner orders Charlie to defend a distant relative in Nevada (Rip Torn) who's guilty of selling copper engravings of Abraham Lincoln - in other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , pennies - through the mail. Trouble is, the last-minute assignment comes on the eve On the Eve (Накануне in Russian) is the third novel by famous Russian writer Ivan Turgenev, best known for his short stories and the novel Fathers and Sons. of Charlie's bachelor party, which Richard has been planning. So the actor gathers up a few buddies, heads to the flyspeck fly·speck n. 1. A small dark speck or stain made by the excrement of a fly. 2. A minute or insignificant spot. tr.v. fly·specked, fly·speck·ing, fly·specks 1. town, surprises Charlie, gets him drunk and gets him in a fight. Charlie is too far gone the next morning to appear in court, so incorrigible in·cor·ri·gi·ble adj. 1. Incapable of being corrected or reformed: an incorrigible criminal. 2. Firmly rooted; ineradicable: incorrigible faults. 3. actor Richard impersonates him. Things are supposed to get wacky from there, but the film's three credited writers don't come up with anything too wild. Richard mangles Mangles is the name of several people and things: People Mangles is the name of a wealthy English family whose members had amongst other things, interests in the Swan River Colony. Prominent members and interests include:
adj. Relating to, having, or predisposed to apoplexy. ap  o·plec at prescribed intervals, gets facetious at others. The pretty, perturbed per·turb tr.v. per·turbed, per·turb·ing, per·turbs 1. To disturb greatly; make uneasy or anxious. 2. To throw into great confusion. 3. prosecutor (Jessica Steen) fights off a completely unmotivated attraction to Richard while, with time on his hands, Charlie gets himself smitten with the cutest, coolest barmaid (Charlize Theron) who's ever been stranded in Nowheresville Nowheresville is a single from Mark Oliver Everett, a.k.a. E of Eels, released in March, 1992 on CD from Polydor Records. Track listing
Lynn films all this in a slack, disinterested manner that too often leaves his fine actors hanging. Admittedly, it's tough to get a courtroom farce crackling like ``Vinny'' did; there are endless cliches built into the framework, and the deliberate rhythm of cross-examination can really drag on a comic tempo. But that doesn't mean you don't try to inject a little wit and speed into the proceedings. It was a fatal error not to try with this movie, and the result is something of a trial. THE FACTS The film: ``Trial and Error'' (PG-13; nudity). The stars: Michael Richards, Jeff Daniels, Charlize Theron, Jessica Steen, Austin Pendleton, Rip Torn. Behind the scenes: Directed by Jonathan Lynn. Written by Sara Bernstein, Gregory Bernstein and Cliff Gardner. Produced by Gary Ross and Lynn. Released by New Line Cinema. Running time: One hour, 38 minutes. Playing: Citywide. Our rating: Two Stars. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Uptight lawyer Charles Tuttle (Jeff Daniels) is about to marry his boss's daughter when, on the eve of his bachelor party, he is sent to Nevada on an assignment in ``Trial and Error.'' |
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