If, like me, the weekend’s election extravaganza sent you into a downward spiral of shame, anger and over-saturated news bulletins, you probably needed some sort of escape. And after reading countless tirades and political opinions from everybody under the sun on social media, along with reeling from Geelong’s disappointing quarter-finals loss, I knew a quick trip to the movies would be just what I needed.
I ended up seeing We’re The Millers, a film I had low expectations of thanks to poor reviews and general lack of interest from others. Maybe it was my current emotional state or my secret love for mindless comedies, but it was actually quite enjoyable.
The film follows Dave (Jason Sudeikis), a small-time drug dealer who recruits a fake family to help him cross the Mexican border with an RV-load of pot, including stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston), teen runaway Casey (Emma Roberts, who I now always expect to go on a murdering rampage after her role in Scream 4) and abandoned kid-next-door Kenny (Will Poulter).
There are also supports from The Hangover’s Ed Helms as the head honcho of the drug empire, not really breaking from his usual character, and Parks and Recreation’s Nick Offerman (Ron F#@$n’ Swanson!) as the kinky fellow road-tripper.
It’s fun enough if you’re into this sort of thing – while not the most hilarious movie to come out this last year, there are a few outrageous moments to keep you satisfied. The ‘criminals trying to act normal’ premise is enough to sustain a feature’s worth of laughs, and the obligatory dysfunctional family element was the right direction to take the film.
We’re The Millers takes a fun premise and runs with it, delivering an enjoyably dark and funny crime caper, that’s still way more entertaining than the weekend’s endless election coverage. Did I mention Jennifer Aniston plays a stripper? (She’s 44 for crying out loud!)
(I’ve realised this is my second post that ends with pole dancing…I’m OK with this.)
Jayden Masciulli
