If there's one thing Patrick Wilson specializes in playing on screen, it's the good-looking wimp. Whether it's Little Children, Phantom of the Opera, or Watchmen, his characters might seem like attractive, decent guys on paper, but when it comes down to it, they lack that decisive, manly je ne sais quoi. Now, Wilson's SXSW entry Barry Munday has made that manifest: This time, Wilson has literally been de-balled.
At least Wilson gets the chance to stretch a little before that, playing a sleazy, goateed rogue who seduces every woman in sight until he's caught by the father of Ann from Arrested Development (her?), assaulted, and left lacking his testicles. Wouldn't you know it, that's exactly the time that Judy Greer (again with the Arrested guest stars!) shows up, announcing that she's pregnant with Wilson's child. And then, hey, Chloe Sevigny is also in the movie somehow!
It's not that the cast isn't great -- there's even Jean Smart in there, for a millisecond -- but if this is the smart comedy you'd hope it to be, it's not evident from the thudding way the trailer is cut. Even beyond that, the costumes, facial hair, and camera angles just seem a little too precious. We'll wait and see what the SXSW verdict is, but for now, we'd like a little bit more than a comedy with no balls.
VERDICT: Pass.