How this movie destroyed its own premise
It's a comedy, so it's a ludicrous movie. Some people find it funny. I guess it has its points, and I like to watch it from time to time. But it's not my favorites, as it's too over the top to take seriously, even for a comedy. I mean, even a comedy should at least be able to hold immersion and not become a living cartoon after a couple of minutes. Escapism is impossible, if you don't accept the events you are seeing as plausible.
Someone who is THAT neurotic, could not pull off the detective scheme.
I mean, come on. No matter what your motivation is, if you are not able to EVEN do the very 'normal' things, like walk outside, without going through ridiculous rituals and whatnot - there is NO way you could up the stakes that much and pull it off without even a shiver of nervousness!
How could a neurotic, fearful and inwardly shrinking guy like Bob possibly do the whole 'let's lie to the phone operators and meet them in real life, in character that absolutely can't be broken, with this complex scheme that requires everything to go flawlessly, with only ONE CHANCE to get it right (if you screw up, you don't get more chances)' thing?
How?
I mean, think about the consequences - one possibility is JAIL for fraud and who knows what else.
And he pulls it off, like it's old hat, no problem.
Just how plausible is that? I'd say 0.00 % plausible. Even a movie has to have some kind of groundwork that the viewer can hang onto and feel immersion because of. There has to be some plausibility, before all the wackiness ensues.
A lot of the things Bob does seem very plausible and could happen in real life, which makes the immersion strong, and the comedy work, and creates the humor.
But this is ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE to pull of for someone like Bob.
Also, are we supposed to sympathise with a sociopathic liar, like Bob? What about his innocence, I hear you ask. He's not very innocent, when he's mercilessly lying and screwing with the phone operators and such.
I think they are both completely crazy - one can't become a psychiatrist without being bonkers - one is a shrink, the other is a sociopath and a liar.
Neurosis or no neurosis, I wouldn't trust either, repulsive shadow of humanity at its worst to tell me the time of day.