Identity Thief
“Identity Thief” is so simple, and inspired, a concept for an R-rated comedy that it’s hard to imagine why no one has made the film before. Maybe the concept was just waiting for Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy.
This type of vulgar, absurd comedy is very difficult to pull off well, because if you try and go TOO far, sacrificing character and story for obscene gags, the results leave much to be desired. Yeah, 2009’s “The Hangover” was a great, entertaining piece of absurdity, but the sequel two years later seemed to forget the crude heart that made the original such a wild, endearing ride. Of course, it’s not fare to compare sequels, because history shows that getting better with age is definitely the exception, and not the rule. Thankfully, the stars of “Thief” have a good barometer I can use to compare and contrast. In 2011, Bateman had a big-screen hit with this film’s director, Seth Gordon, in “Horrible Bosses,” which took a simple concept, and twisted it for wicked, not-appropriate-for-children laughs. Similarly, the same summer started out with “Bridesmaids,” a rowdy, raunchy bachelorette party comedy, in which McCarthy gave a scene-stealer, Oscar-nominated performance, but seemed to force its vulgarity to match what the boys could muster without focusing on the story, and let the laughs flow effortlessly out.
In “Identity Thief,” Batemen, McCarthy, and Gordon find a sweet spot in the middle within Craig Mazin’s script about a Denver family man (Bateman) whose identity is stolen by a woman in Florida (McCarthy), which seems crazy until you find that Bateman’s name is Sandy. (Hey, it IS a unisex name. It just happens to be more common with one sex than the other.) After McCarthy’s fraud accrues more the $12,000 in debt, as well as an arrest warrant put out on her, Bateman has to take action into his own hands, and go down to Florida and bring her back to clear his name. (Why the police can’t do so is a sobering reminder of how insane our legal system is at times.) Naturally, it’s not going to be as easy as that, though, and by the time a grizzled bounty hunter (Robert Patrick) and a drug gang (Genesis Rodriguez and T.I.) are after them, Bateman realizes he’s bit off more than he can chew.
Chances are, people already know they’re going to see this movie because of the presence of Bateman (a great, put-upon individual since his days on “Arrested Development”) and McCarthy (who is great at livening up any project she’s in, and I can’t wait to see her with Sandra Bullock in this summer’s “The Heat”), and well they should. These two are comedy pros who know how to deliver hilarity, and they do quite often, turning even some of the queasiest scenes into great fun. If my grade seems a bit low given my appreciation for these actors, and the story itself, it’s because the film does have some moments that fall flat, like Jon Favreau’s dick of a boss, and honestly, it’s unfortunate they didn’t use Amanda Peet as Bateman’s wife in the zaniness (she was so good, and promising, in “The Whole Nine Yards” back in 2000 as a comedic talent). That said, Bateman and McCarthy carry the film on its back, and deliver the goods in a comedy that does a good job of punching us in the throat, as well as making us care about these characters, like any good comedy should.
