Deal (2008)

The Concept

The Deal is a romantic comedy that combines comedic elements with a satiric look at the filming industry. The movie never seems to get rolling, but it has enough to keep audiences in their seats until the credits roll. Part of this has to do with the writing, while another has to do with the story itself. The actors, however, did a great job.

The Cast

William H Macy is one of the most captivating characters in the film. He is a film producer that is down on his luck, even to the point of considering suicide. His nephew gives him a movie script, and Macy does whatever he can to get the movie made; even though it is one of the most ludicrous plots ever written. The producer eventually casts LL Cool J as a Jewish figure in history, but he is running through buildings and shooting as explosions go off in the background. Sadly, this is the only time that we see LL Cool J, and his role seems rushed and like there could have been more done with the character.

As the story progresses, Macy's character becomes interested in Meg Ryan, who has no stretch in the character department. As always, she's relatable and quirky, but remains a hard to reach target for Macy. She plays a studio executive, which means that she must have faith in Macy and the ridiculous plot that he has made into a movie. The relationship between Ryan and Macy is nothing intriguing and it ends as one would typically expect. In retrospect, the fact that it didn't end with a wedding should be a positive note.

Besides the plot of the movie, the conversations between the characters are fun and comedic. LL Cool J has some rather crude, but funny, rants in the movie as well. Sadly, the movie starts losing steam and it feels like the movie is trying too hard to get laughs. One scene in a karaoke bar feel tremendously forced and out of place. It almost feels like the movie wasn't sure what direction it should head, or maybe that the writers ran out of material to work with.

Basement

The Deal is based off of a novel, and it is unable to finds its own identity or stay faithful to the source material. On the other hand, the ridiculous plot proposed in the movie would have translated into a much more satiric take on the Hollywood film industry in general. As it stands, the Deal is a movie that strives for greatness, but doesn't quite reach it. With a running time of 90 minutes, it's certainly not the worst way you can spend your time.

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