Schwimmer saves weak 'Run' with late heroics
Given its pedestrian dialogue, exhausted, formulaic plot and lame sight gags of men falling down, "Run Fat Boy Run" should be miles and miles away from a sweet and endearing romantic comedy.
Yet, "Friends" star David Schwimmer, making his feature directorial debut, pulls genuine emotions right out of the London fog during the final act, just in time to end on a pleasant, if innocuously unsurprising note.
Originally, Schwimmer had been set to direct "Run" in New York. When a British company took over the production, he packed off to London where Dennis, a panicked British slacker with a bad case of arrested adolescence, runs away from his weeping, very pregnant bride on their wedding day.
Five years later, Dennis (co-writer Simon Pegg, the comically gifted star of "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz") works as an out-of-shape security guard at a lingerie store.
Older, but not much wiser, he realizes he still loves his bride-to-be, Libby (Thandie Newton), mother of their young son Jake (Matthew Festoon).
She brushes off Dennis' halfhearted attempts at reconciliation. Dennis thinks time is on his side, until he meets Libby's new man, a Chicago executive named Whit (Hank Azaria).
Smooth, educated, polished and wealthy, Whit is one of those guys who competes and excels at everything. In the locker room, a fit and naked Whit doesn't pass up the opportunity to show who's the better man.
In a burst of macho impulsiveness, Dennis announces he'll race Whit in a London marathon, thinking this will prove his worth to Libby and Jake. Dennis has three weeks to get fit, if he doesn't die.
He gets unexpected, if incompetent help in physical training from his best friend Gordon (Dylan Moran) and Mr. Goshdashtidar (Harish Patel), his eternally irritated, good-hearted landlord.
"Run Fat Boy Run" never avails itself of the many opportunities for clever sight gags and pieces of comic business. Schwimmer, although a thoroughly competent director, plays every scene dead-center straight, almost fearful to loosen up and let the movie be as fun and zany as we'd hope.
Pegg milks his underdog persona to great effect, presenting Dennis as a lovable lug struggling to win first prize after fouling out of an earlier contest.
Newton breathes sexy depth into what amounts to an otherwise constrained, standard girlfriend role.
Azaria's considerable comic talents are completely wasted in a straight-man role that could have been easily handled by a Matthew Broderick or a Luke Wilson. His character, like the rest of "Run Fat Boy Run," feels suppressed and flat, as if Schwimmer posted signs on the set saying, "Improvisation or spontaneous reactions not allowed!"
"Run Fat Boy" is another one of those rom-coms where the woman cannot be allowed to decide between two competing men by herself. The movie must do it for her.
By revealing damning information about one man during the 11th hour, the movie gives Libby no option but to choose the man we knew she'd end up with all along. No creative points here.
Despite an underwhelming knack for directing comedy, Schwimmer displays a reservoir of affection for these characters. That enables him to pull off a crowd-pleasing finale in classic underdog sports/romance style, indicating that once he gets down with his crazy comic self, Schwimmer might actually have a future as a director of comedies with heart.
"Run Fat Boy Run"
2½ stars
Starring: Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria, Matthew Fenton.
Directed by: David Schwimmer
Other: A Picturehouse Films release. Rated PG-13 (sexual humor, nudity, language and smoking. 100 minutes.