A little bit and it would be very good. In 1998, an unremarkable action movie of Scandinavian production “Hamilton” was released on the screens. It was directed by Harald Zwart, who was 33 years old at the time. "Hamilton" and disappeared in the canvas of film history, but Zwart in some way unexpectedly received an invitation to Hollywood, going there three years later. It was in 2001 that the company “Further Films” allocated $ 18 million for the filming of the crime comedy “A Night at McCool’s Bar” according to the script by Stan Sidel, who debuted in the full meter in this field. But, as no surprise, the unknown studio with a little-known director and novice screenwriter managed to assemble an excellent cast: Liv Tyler, Matt Dillon, John Goodman, Richard Jenkins and Michael Douglas himself was present as a guest star.
But it is worth a little closer to understand those who showed themselves to the viewer in the film “Night at McCool’s Bar”. So, by 2001, Liv Tyler was already in the status of a star, but this status, of course, was largely acquired because of her father, the famous frontman of the legendary “Aerosmith”, no matter how Liv tried to go his own way and achieve everything herself, and the role in major projects the actress still had secondary and critics even until now Liv Tyler has not convinced of his pricelessness. Matt Dillon at one time received, so to speak, the prize when Francis Ford Coppola singled him out of many applicants, removing him in 1983 from his cult crime dramas about young people “Rogue” and “Fighting Fish”, but in the future his career was full of failures and ups and a real status star he is not called by many. John Goodman was more seen as a comedian. Richard Jenkins is an actor of many films, but his roles are almost always secondary. Michael Douglas? He can do what he wants and when he wants.
Now let me talk about the actors based on the plot of the crime comedy “A Night at McCool’s Bar”. Matt Dillon plays a shirt guy who makes a living as a bartender. One beautiful (or unfortunate?) night, he meets a natural "femme fatale" played by Liv Tyler. After this acquaintance, the poor guy becomes involved in criminal circumstances, including murder. But he did get a bonus - like Liv Tyler's heroine fell in love with him. But meanwhile, the ex-bartender (because of the girl, the main character lost his job) gets two rivals for the heart of the beauty: one of them is a policeman (John Goodman), the other is his distant relative-lawyer (played by Paul Reiser). Around the hero Dillon weaving intrigues, and he is already under the scrutiny of the police. The film itself is shown as if from three points of view, which emanate from all three unfortunate in a seductive beauty. Matt Dillon talks to Michael Douglas at a game club, Goodman allegedly confesses to a priest friend (Jenkins), and Reiser tells his psychologist (Reb McEntyre).
And so Matt Dillon appears in the familiar role of a good guy, but due to some circumstances he loses luck in life, and ends with the image of the most offensive American word “loser”. If you made his character deeper, and the actor himself would work on it in detail, it would be something to talk about, and so everything is very familiar and not so interesting. Liv Tyler is really a beautiful girl, it is clear why three men lost their heads from her, but in addition to a pretty face, and the figures of the top model she would also like to work a little deeper into the role, or even other pretty actresses enough, could replace her. John Goodman is good in his role, was even funny when he came in with confessions in police uniform, but his character is not given much time. Paul Reiser may have performed the funniest scene of galloping around town in a leather fetishist masochist suit, but in fact Reiser was the weakest hero in all the turmoil. Michael Douglas played in five scenes, but his talent was enough to get to know his character. In general, such flaws with the images could be blamed on the screenwriter, but there was a feeling that the director of the film was afraid of the big names in his picture and gave it to them.
Could have turned out a more entertaining and more significant film – a solid cast could help, but everywhere a little something was missing. And so there was a good entertaining comedy with familiar faces, but what you saw is enough for once. I wish it had been better. But this will be enough for many, so if you suddenly want to spend a useful, albeit small, but useful evening and at the same time not particularly burden the thought processes, this film will be a suitable spectacle.
6 out of 10